Windows 7 - Funky Desktop ghost gadget looking thing

Hello,

Please check the attached graphic. I somehow have this odd "ghost" of a desktop gadget. I cannot right or left on it to cause any type of dialog or config option. I have only installed a few mainstream gadgets, but uninstalled them all to troubleshoot this, but cannot get it to disappear.

This is a fresh install that has had no problems. Also, I am actively running Microsoft Security Essentials. I really doubt this is any kind of virus or malware.

Nonetheless... I can't figure it out at all.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Type "Gadgets" in the search bar in the Start Menu (Windows's orb), and click on "View list of running gadgets", so you'll be able to see the real name of the Ghost Gadget. Then, you could try to find it and uninstall it.

There's also "Restore gadgets installed with Windows" option; you could use it too -- it'll, as you may have already figured out, delete all the gadgets you could have possibly downloaded and keep only those that came with Windows.

I hope that helps.

PS: You are sure it's a Windows Gadget, aren't you?

Thanks for the quick reply!

I forgot to mention that I tried removing all gadgets in the manner you suggested and that did not work.

I am not 100% sure it is a windows gadget, but I have no idea what else it could be. If I right click all around it, i see the appropriate menu, but if right click on it, nothing happens. Also, I am running three monitors, and it only displays on one of them.

Try to change your deskop, if it disapears it is a corruption in that desktop
Try in another user account ,if it is not there, it is a corrupt account. Open a new user account and close the old one.

Hello Gtdrummie, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might also toggle the Show desktop gadgets option off and on in the tutorial below to see if it may remove it; if it's a gadget.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...hide-show.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hey guys...

thanks a lot for your ideas. This is absolutely bizarre to me.

Rich -- What do you mean try to change my desktop?

I tried logging into another user account and the box still appears.

Brink -- I tried the view setting in the link you provided and I still see the little box.

Any other ideas?

Jonathan

I noticed that as the system loads, the box is the last thing to popup after loading all icons, couple other gadgets, etc ... is there a way to see the sequential order items boot up?

Jonathan,

What I meant, is that your desktop wallpaper may have the defect. Try another one.
The screen shot that you gave us just shows a big black mark as problem, it could be anything.

It could be a program that runs on startup. Try to close most of your programs and see if it's still there.

There are little back and forward arrows in the lower right corner. Almost looks like a media player gadget? You can perform a clean boot to see if it is caused by a running program. then enable 1/2 to see if comes back, etc.

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

A Guy