How to stop Windows 7 from writing desktop.ini files everywhere?

Hello,

so I have issues about hidden files (I always want to see them), and I'm particularly annoyed by this desktop.ini file. As if it wasn't enough that there is one in almost every folder, in Windows 7 there are TWO of them on my desktop!

Also, Windows 7 is always trying to burn/write that file on every removable media I have, including USB memory sticks, external hard drives, CD's, DVD's (and the fact that they aren't rewritable and have been burned and closed by the factory doesn't seem to stop it from getting that file ready to be written to disc), etc. Am I the only one thinking this is insane?

My question is simple - how do I stop Windows 7 from ever creating another one of these files again (that is, until next reinstall or some such thing, I'm just trying to be dramatic)?

Yes, I know I will lose some customization functions, but the fact is - I don't need them (which is why I want to see hidden files - to delete them if I don't need them). I know what's in what folder, thank you very much. And yes, I know I can go to Control Panel and set it to not show hidden files, but that's exactly what I don't want.

So, just show me which option to un-check and I'll be happy and I'll buy you some e-beer.

Thanks,
Nikola

I've seen before that if you have thumbnail view set for your folders, each folder will have a desktop.ini file. Is this the view you have?

I am new to windows 7, and ever since I started using windows 95 up to the present win7 (with win98 and winxp; yes I skipped vista), I have always viewed hidden files - I am a computer professional, and not an end user type.

Why is ms/windows creating these desktop.ini files on my desktop? What is the purpose anyway?

Deb

Professional or amateur, I don't feel there is and real value or purpose in being able to see the system files, except, possibly, if you are troubleshooting. But, fwiw, I have enabled mine and have had no problems deleting .ini files. Some are recreated, but I have not had the desktop ones do that.

logicearth said:

Folder Options > View > enable Hide protected operating system files.
Furthermore, desktop.ini is not written to CD/DVDs when you burn.

Thou hast not properly understood my question, thus thou shalt not get any e-beer. :)

Edit: Maybe desktop.ini isn't written to a CD/DVD (I wouldn't know, I always delete it manually off the list), but it's always *ready* to be written.

Cheers!

gurustevie said:

I've seen before that if you have thumbnail view set for your folders, each folder will have a desktop.ini file. Is this the view you have?

That, I think, was true on Windows XP, but 7 creates desktop.ini file regardless. I deleted the two off my desktop once, only to have them reappear on reboot.

For some reason I'm quite certain that Microsoft could've come up with a more elegant solution to folder customization than having a hidden system file in every folder. I wouldn't even be making such a fuss about it if the files (and yes, I'm saying files, as in more than one of them, both having the same name in the same folder, how insane is that!) weren't showing on my desktop (and no, I'm not likely to un-check viewing of hidden files).