Can't delete 'New Folder' on desktop

[California]

First time I've had a problem with Win XP.

I have a desktop folder that won't go away. I can't delete it, rename it, or move it into another folder so I can delete that. "Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk."

Its named New Folder, but rightclick/new/folder creates another folder with the identical name alongside the bogus one.

I tried deleting it in a dos box, that didn't work either.

Maybe a clue: - in the several things I tried, I think I saw 'can't delete desktop.ini' flash for an instant.

copying a .jpg into it gives inconsistent results - sometimes ACDSee can show the .jpg, sometimes it fails with 'file not found'. So I can't just leave it there.

Help! how do I get rid of this monster?

 

[1bush2hog]

You may need to reboot and/or change the properties of the folder first.

 

[DieselPower]

I agree, try a reboot first. After start up try to right click delete again. If this does not work try going to "My Computer", your hard drive (probably C Drive), double click on the folder that is often your name, administrator or All Users. In this file double click on "Desktop". See if the folder is displayed here and if it is try to delete it from there.

 

[California]

Ok, I tried those suggestions. No joy.

An attribute change returns 'system cannot find specified file' and any form of delete still gives 'Cannot read from the source file or disk'. Same results after a reboot.

Is there a filemanager utility that ignores (or manages) the XP extended attributes set?

 

[rox]

That is really really wierd. I can't wait to find out how you fix it. A true Windows mystery. I know you probably already tried this but can you drag it into another folder that is not on your desktop? the try and delete that one. Een if you cna't delete it, at least it will be off your desktop. i msut admit I am enough of a fuss button that if i had to look at my desktop every day with a folder called 'new file' that i couldn't get rid of that would really annoy me. Good luck, hoope you are able to solve the mystery.

 

[California]

I finally killed it, but not by any rational process.

All attempts to delete or move the bogus New Folder had failed. Rebooting hadn't helped. Using the dos box hadn't helped. (dir new*.* showed it, but del new*.* did nothing.)

Several times I created a new desktop folder (rightclick/new/folder) and tried moving the bogus folder into it. On about the tenth experiment with minor variations, I had named my new folder 'Junk' and instead of 'Cannot move file: Cannot read from the source file or disk' I saw 'Do you really want to move desktop.ini to a new folder?'. I clicked yes, which put a New Folder in Junk and also left the existing New Folder on the desktop.

This time I was able to delete the uncooperative desktop folder, and then I deleted Junk which contained the bogus New Folder (desktop.ini??) which was moved there.

Thinking back, I have Irfanview set to store finished projects in New Folder as part of its batch processing. Perhaps Irfanview found that folder didn't exist and created one that XP didn't recognise. I can't think of anything else to cause this.

Thanks to all for the encouragement!

 

[HomeBrew2]

... 'system cannot find specified file' ... 'Cannot read from the source file or disk' ... XP didn't recognise ...

Usually when that happens to me, running scandisk using auto error fixing straightens it out.

 

[DAP]

I was beginning to smell a virus ...

 

[jinman]

California, sometimes there may be "hidden system files" in a folder that you cannot view. Using "My Computer" you can often go to the Tools\Folder Options\View selection and under "Hidden Files and Folders" select the "Show hidden files and folders" option. That way hidden folders show up so you can then right-click and change the attributes.

Also, if a file is in "use" sometimes they cannot be deleted. That doesn't sound like what you had. The problem with ACDSee is it doesn't show all file types. It is really looking for graphics files. I find I have a lot better luck with My Computer.

Glad you finally got the file deleted. If some program "squeeks and squawks" because it can't find a .ini file, you'll know why.

 

[California]

Using "My Computer" you can often go to the Tools\Folder Options\View selection and under "Hidden Files and Folders" select the "Show hidden files and folders" option.

Thanks for the comments. I just checked this and found my settings are as you described. Also Hide System Files and Hide Filetypes are unchecked.

if a file is in "use" sometimes they cannot be deleted. That doesn't sound like what you had. The problem with ACDSee is it doesn't show all file types. I have a lot better luck with My Computer.

I agree. I consistently got the several versions of 'no such file or folder' that I quoted above when trying to delete, move, or rename this folder, or change its atributes. But I thought it was really strange that sometimes ACDSee would show a test .jpg I had put in the folder, other times returned 'file not found', and I couldn't see a pattern to predict which.

Glad you finally got the file deleted. If some program "squeeks and squawks" because it can't find a .ini file, you'll know why.

New Folder returned. This time I'm certain I haven't let Irfanview create a 'New Folder' for its output since I haven't used it.

I again experimented using rightclick/new/folder to make a New Folder (no suffix) alongside the bogus one. Then I created a second New Folder and named it Junk. I'm pretty certain that the magic attribute of the bogus file jumps to the other folder named New Folder after that one is created, or at least their locations on the desktop are swapped. Weird!

Some combination of moving either New Folder into the other, or into Junk, or Junk into one of the New Folders, allowed deletion of all three of them after several failed attempts that returned 'Cannot read from the source file or disk' for one of them. I still haven't discovered what works, aside from many repeated attempts. Again, I saw desktop.ini within the bogus New Folder and deleted it but that didn't make its folder deletable.

XP has run flawlessly here since June 04. I run AVG antivirus (continually updated), and just ran AdAware which found nothing at all. I'm stumped.