Cannot delete file..Zero Bytes?

Hello,

I have a file on my desktop named <Fitzgerald ->. I do not know where
it came from. This is no surprise given that my daughter uses the PC
under my login from time to time. The file size is 0 bytes. The
properties security tab says "The requested security information is
either unavailable or cannot be displayed". The attributes info is "A"
(don't know what that means). I can move the desktop icon around the
screen but I cannot trash it by any means found online. When I try to
throw it in the trash, the error message says "Could not find this
item". Under this message it reads "This is no longer located in
C:\...\Desktop\Fitzgerald -. Verify the item's location and try
again."

Vista Home Premium 32bit.

Any ideas?


--
cohack11
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

"cohack11" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hello,
>
> I have a file on my desktop named <Fitzgerald ->. I do not know where
> it came from. This is no surprise given that my daughter uses the PC
> under my login from time to time. The file size is 0 bytes. The
> properties security tab says "The requested security information is
> either unavailable or cannot be displayed". The attributes info is "A"
> (don't know what that means). I can move the desktop icon around the
> screen but I cannot trash it by any means found online. When I try to
> throw it in the trash, the error message says "Could not find this
> item". Under this message it reads "This is no longer located in
> C:\...\Desktop\Fitzgerald -. Verify the item's location and try
> again."
>
> Vista Home Premium 32bit.
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
> --
> cohack11
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

Posted by R.C White to answer a very similar question in another place and
time but in this galaxy and close by.

----------------
Open a Command Prompt and use the old DOS command "Dir", from days before
Directories were Folders. Type "DIR /?" to see a mini-Help file with a list
of switches and parameters that can be used with the Dir command.

Navigate to the directory where your zero-byte file is. Then type "Dir" to
see a list of all the files and folders there, including your mystery file.
You can use Dir /os to "order" them by size; any zero-byte file should be at
the top. (If the list is too long, you can use Dir /o-s to put the
zero-byte file at the bottom of the listing.)

Then use Dir /x to produce the list with an extra column before the
filenames. See if your zero-byte file has a name that includes characters
that are not allowed in an 8.3 filename. If so, use that "short" filename
with the Del command to delete that file.

If all else fails, create a new folder and move everything EXCEPT the
zero-balance file to the new folder. Then use the RD (Remove Directory)
command with the /s switch to remove that entire directory tree, including
all the files and folders left in it; there should be only the one file that
you want to delete. Then you can rename your new folder to the original
name, if you like.

If these tricks don't work, post back with details. "Tried it" doesn't tell
us much; neither does "Didn't work". We need step by step details of what
you did and what you saw, including verbatim text of any error messages.
------------------------

Tom Ferguson
>

Thank you! the "short" name solved it!

"Tom Ferguson" wrote:

>
> "cohack11" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a file on my desktop named <Fitzgerald ->. I do not know where
> > it came from. This is no surprise given that my daughter uses the PC
> > under my login from time to time. The file size is 0 bytes. The
> > properties security tab says "The requested security information is
> > either unavailable or cannot be displayed". The attributes info is "A"
> > (don't know what that means). I can move the desktop icon around the
> > screen but I cannot trash it by any means found online. When I try to
> > throw it in the trash, the error message says "Could not find this
> > item". Under this message it reads "This is no longer located in
> > C:\...\Desktop\Fitzgerald -. Verify the item's location and try
> > again."
> >
> > Vista Home Premium 32bit.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> >
> > --
> > cohack11
> > Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>
> Posted by R.C White to answer a very similar question in another place and
> time but in this galaxy and close by.
>
> ----------------
> Open a Command Prompt and use the old DOS command "Dir", from days before
> Directories were Folders. Type "DIR /?" to see a mini-Help file with a list
> of switches and parameters that can be used with the Dir command.
>
> Navigate to the directory where your zero-byte file is. Then type "Dir" to
> see a list of all the files and folders there, including your mystery file.
> You can use Dir /os to "order" them by size; any zero-byte file should be at
> the top. (If the list is too long, you can use Dir /o-s to put the
> zero-byte file at the bottom of the listing.)
>
> Then use Dir /x to produce the list with an extra column before the
> filenames. See if your zero-byte file has a name that includes characters
> that are not allowed in an 8.3 filename. If so, use that "short" filename
> with the Del command to delete that file.
>
> If all else fails, create a new folder and move everything EXCEPT the
> zero-balance file to the new folder. Then use the RD (Remove Directory)
> command with the /s switch to remove that entire directory tree, including
> all the files and folders left in it; there should be only the one file that
> you want to delete. Then you can rename your new folder to the original
> name, if you like.
>
> If these tricks don't work, post back with details. "Tried it" doesn't tell
> us much; neither does "Didn't work". We need step by step details of what
> you did and what you saw, including verbatim text of any error messages.
> ------------------------
>
> Tom Ferguson
> >
>
>