Cannot Delete 0 Byte File on Desktop

[T777]

Hi all, First of all, im new here, today actually, I have looked many different forums and different solutions but nothing is working to delete this file from my desktop.

I let my sister borrow my laptop while I was away, and she had downloaded these torrent's to my system. Leaving the torrent files on my desktop. I was able to delete them all apart from one.

I can't budge it. I've used FileAssassin, LockHunter etc and I've also used CMD prompts.

CMD prompt comes back with the answer that the file cannot be found, when it is starting right at me on the desktop. I can't move it to another folder, or rename it. FileAssissin can't find it and LockHunter can't find it. Unlocker didn't work either.

Any other suggestions? I can screencap the CMD prompt too if its any help to anyone.

Oh, I also tried creating a file, the same name as the one I am trying to delete so it would have some data in it to delete it. It still doesn't work.

Any help on this matter would be great

 

[Dom]

Have you tried right-clicking and selecting 'Refresh'?
Because if CMD says it is not found, it is probably already deleted but never refreshed the desktop.

 

[NoN]

Hi all, First of all, im new here, today actually, I have looked many different forums and different solutions but nothing is working to delete this file from my desktop.

I let my sister borrow my laptop while I was away, and she had downloaded these torrent's to my system. Leaving the torrent files on my desktop. I was able to delete them all apart from one.

I can't budge it. I've used FileAssassin, LockHunter etc and I've also used CMD prompts.

CMD prompt comes back with the answer that the file cannot be found, when it is starting right at me on the desktop. I can't move it to another folder, or rename it. FileAssissin can't find it and LockHunter can't find it. Unlocker didn't work either.

Any other suggestions? I can screencap the CMD prompt too if its any help to anyone.

Oh, I also tried creating a file, the same name as the one I am trying to delete so it would have some data in it to delete it. It still doesn't work.

Any help on this matter would be great

You might want to "Take Ownership" of the file:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1911-take-ownership-shortcut.html

 

[profdlp]

Try creating a new folder on the Desktop. I'd name it something like "Junk". See if you can drag the troublesome file into it and then delete the "Junk" folder.

If that doesn't work, try MoveOnBoot.

 

[T777]

I've tried refreshing the desktop, it won't remove, I've also tried creating a junk folder in the past and I cannot move it.

It is possibly the most stubborn file I've ever come across!

I'll try MoveOnBoot, in fact I'll try anything!!!!

 

[T777]

MoveOnBoot did not remove it. It states the following:

"It seems that the following File does not exist so its deletion on the next Windows boot may not succeed:"

 

[whs]

Have a look at this thread, Work yourself backwards from post #32 on page 4. http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/61420-folder-wont-delete-argh-4.html

 

[profdlp]

From your description of how the file was created it sounds like your torrent program created a placeholder for a file that never actually was downloaded. See if you have a file listed in your download manager as having "failed". If so, clear the list and see if the file goes away.

You might also run an error check on your hard drive to see if it can clear up the problem. If it shows disk space as being allocated for a non-existent file it might fix it for you.

 

[T777]

From your description of how the file was created it sounds like your torrent program created a placeholder for a file that never actually was downloaded. See if you have a file listed in your download manager as having "failed". If so, clear the list and see if the file goes away.

You might also run an error check on your hard drive to see if it can clear up the problem. If it shows disk space as being allocated for a non-existent file it might fix it for you.

As far as a download manager, I don't have one, that I know of. All the Vuze folders are empty for incomplete files, I can't find anything relating to it.

 

[romar]

Try Unlocker. been using it more than a year and it didn't fail me.

 

[NYKO]

The toopic looks pretty old, but got this probleme today. I set camtasia studio to convert my videos on desktop. I tryed to convert a video, but the folder with the video never show on my desktop. After restarting the pc the folder apeared on the desktop with the video inside. I was able to move the video but not the folder because it was showing 0 bytes. Here is the my solution: Go to controlpanel/User Accounts create a new administrator acount. Know swich user to it. Go to C:\Users\ and enter the folder that has the same name with the old account. Know move the desktop folder that contains the 0 byte file on the new desktop. create a new Desktop folder in that location (C:\Users\old account folder). Move any icons or files from the old desktop folder to the new that you created except the 0 byte file. Swich back to your old user, go again to controlpanel/User Accounts and delete or disable the second account you created.

 

[Rockfella]

Unlocker should work!

 

[bethel95]

Verified solution

The trick is to delete the file using its short name. To discover the short name, open a command line window, and type DIR /X. This will show you two names for the zero byte file--the normal one and a "short name" that consists of the first 6 letters of the file name, a tilde (~), and a number. Now use DEL with the short name.

 

[pkholla]

Thanks to romar

Thanks romar: I was going crazy trying to delete 2 '0 byte' system files created from htm files sent by my share market broker (as credit notes!). Your tip about UNLOCKER solved my problem in a flash! Prakash Holla, Bangalore, India.

 

[Corazon]

Question to the OP: did you restart at all before making all these attempts at deleting the 0-byte file?
It seems to be a weird bug in Windows 7 which I encounter in some rare circumstances. I've found that when nothing else will get rid of a phantom file, a restart will. I can only assume that the restart clears up something that's gotten stuck in the NTFS filesystem cache or in Explorer's icon cache or whatever.
(And no, there's no delete operation queued to perform at boot time.)

 

[Kastenfrosch]

Thanks bethel95! The "dir /x" and deleting it with its short name worked for me .

 

[tryingtolearn]

How to remove a 0 byte file from windows 7 desktop

If anyone needs to remove a 0 byte file from desktop - you cannot put in recycle bin, or cannot locate file comes up, cannot open the file, cannot find the file or cannot delete file - try this:

TO REMOVE A GHOST -0 BYTE FILE
BOOT UP YOUR COMPUTER IN SAFE MODE
FIND DIRECTORY AND FIND FILE
If The file is named: xxxxx xxxx xxxxx
TYPE: DEL “xxxx xxxx xxxxx*.*”
SPECIFICALLY - [USE THE QUOTES AND *.* AND THE END QUOTE AROUND THE PARTICULAR FILE NAME]
File should be gone.
CLOSE WINDOW
Shut down
Reboot in regular mode.
THIS TOOK ME A WHILE TO RESEARCH AND TEST - BUT ITS GONE AND IT Got it done for me!

 

[rubyrubyroo]

Hello there and welcome tringtolearn,

Thanks for the information.
Just curious, how did you end up with such a file, and were you able to reproduce/remake another zero Byte file?

Thanks,
Mike



@anyone - Also couldn't this be caused by an entry in the MFT that points to a zero sized region on the disk? (using "Bytes seems kind of trivial, since it's also zero bits, MB GB, etc. - it's unitless)

Never heard anyone try to rename another "normal" file to the same name as the zero size file, or delete the folder it is located in (if not something like desktop!)

 

[tryingtolearn]

Hi

Well, I downloaded a super Mario Forever game to play. The download came from C/net free games. I got bored after playing for a month and not passing through a section trying to jump umpteen times of trying, so I deleted the game and this blank 0 bytes file I could not "find" remained on the desktop. After researching all over the internet forums, etc., I put two and two together and used the run/command/directory/del with quotes fix. It's gone.

Also, NO, I was not able to reproduce/remake or duplicate the file on the desktop. This type of duplication was not helpful to get rid of it, only the above mentioned fix.

 

[Sir George]

Try Unlocker. been using it more than a year and it didn't fail me.

The first post from the OP states "Unlocker" was not successful.