However, there should be only one desktop.ini file. If it reproduces, and begins to spread in other system folders, and accompanied with others like recycle.bin etc, get a malware /virus scan as early as possible.
Last edited by Brink; 10 Mar 2010 at 12:17.
Reason: merged consecutive posts
I have a desktop.ini file appearing in every single folder of my machine and I want them hidden. I need to have hidden system files displayed so I can't use that option in Windows Explorer.
Someone suggested that having a desktop.ini file in folders other than the desktop is a symptom of malware however, in my case at least, I doubt that because if I read the content of the file it shows harmless items:
System Manufacturer/Model Number: Alienware M17x R2 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 CPU: i7 Q840 Motherboard: M17x Memory: 8 GB Graphics Card: 2 x ATI Radeon H5780 Sound Card: ATI HD Audio Hard Drives: 2 x 500 GB in RAID 0
Ideally, it would be wonderful if Microsoft could make it possible to hide individual files and/or file types.
They did! But you have it set to show hidden files....so you want a third option but of course you would turn that off to...When will it stop? Do they need 10 levels of different "hidden" flags for folders and files? There are currently two flags that control the hidden-ness "Hidden" and "System" (System must be combined with Hidden to actually hide).
Now this begs the question. Why do you need to see hidden system files all the time?
Why do you need to see hidden system files all the time?
Because I need access to the content of the System32 folder, more specifically the shell32.dll and hosts files.
I discovered that the problem is not with Windows Explorer but Xplorer2. The programmer has decided that there should be no difference between hidden and system files, either they are hidden or they are not. Users of this program have asked him to change that and at least respect the way Microsoft configured it but he won't.
System Manufacturer/Model Number: Alienware M17x R2 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 CPU: i7 Q840 Motherboard: M17x Memory: 8 GB Graphics Card: 2 x ATI Radeon H5780 Sound Card: ATI HD Audio Hard Drives: 2 x 500 GB in RAID 0
"C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll" is not hidden
"C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" is not hidden
Neither of those files require the setting in question to be disabled. So as you pointed out. The problem is not this setting but the fact that you are using a third-party viewer. Simple enough.
Btw, the only system files that have both system and hidden are desktop.ini files, and special files that reside outside of C:\Windows. Like the User's registry (NTUSER.DAT) Other then that most if not all system files are not hidden. (Unless you use third-party clients but that is unsupported to begin with.)
Regretfully, despite several 3rd party Windows Explorer replacements being made available, Microsoft still has not understood that dual pane viewers are what most people want/require. This is one of the main reasons I never use Windows Explorer.
System Manufacturer/Model Number: Alienware M17x R2 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64 CPU: i7 Q840 Motherboard: M17x Memory: 8 GB Graphics Card: 2 x ATI Radeon H5780 Sound Card: ATI HD Audio Hard Drives: 2 x 500 GB in RAID 0
Well if "most" people wanted that, it would have been implemented. But sadly on the internet "most" is actually the minority when it comes to the user base of Windows. Its a hard pill to swallow for us tech geeks, but the normal people out number us greatly. And they get the royal treatment first.
I want to view all my OS's files and folders, including hidden ones, but for some reason the desktop.ini on my desktop is bugging me. I want it gone. Either deleted or just hidden from view.
Is there a way to do this without affecting the visibility of anything else?
I've seen the question...
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