Can't delete .exe files from Desktop?

[mobidutch]

For some reason, anytime I drop a file on the desktop with a .exe extension, I can no longer delete that file from the desktop. Actually...I can delete it, but as soon as I hit F5 or e.g. log off and back on, the file simply reappears. I can only delete a .exe file permanently in Safe Mode. I do not have any problems deleting files with other extensions from the Desktop (but renaming a .exe on the Desktop does not work either).

I use build 7022. My UAC setting is off (slider all the way down). I do not use Offline folders.

When I right-click on the file, it takes about 25 seconds before the actions menu appears. If I then choose Properties, it takes about a minute before the Properties window appears. On the Security tab it says: "You do not have permissions to view or edit this object's permission settings." Under "Advanced" on the Owner tab, it says "Unable to display current owner." When I try to take owenership, it tells me "Access is denied".

I checked the permissions and ownership for my Desktop folder under C:\Users (also for All Users and Public Users), and according to those setting I should be owner and have full control.

What gives??

 

[NosferatuX]

Hi mobidutch and welcome to the forum!

Please try the following;

Go to Control Panel>Folder Options>Views
Click to select "Show hidden files, folders, or drives
Remove the check mark on "Hide extensions for known file types"
Click on Apply

Go to your desktop and try to delete an exe file again.

Added:
Try to run error-checking/checkdisk on your drive
To do this, click on Start>Computer right click your C: Drive and select Properties
Put a check on "Automatically fix file system errors" and "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" it will give you a prompt saying it will try to run on next reboot.
Reboot.

Another thing you can do is integrity check, you can do that by following the System File Checker post

Let us know how it turns out

 

[mobidutch]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I already have that option unchecked though..typically one of the first things I do after installing the OS.

I'm the only one using my machine, so I am part of the Admin group. From the root of my drive I propagated ownership set to Administrators and Full access for Administrators to all child folders (replacing inheritable permissions on all child folders).

Still no luck. And I just noticed that this in fact happens for ANY .exe file I copy ANYWHERE. I can delete .exe files from where they are on the drive now, but as soon as I copy a .exe file to any other location, I can no longer delete it from that location. Annoying!

I guess it could simply be a bug. It's a beta after all..

 

[NosferatuX]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I already have that option unchecked though..typically one of the first things I do after installing the OS.

I'm the only one using my machine, so I am part of the Admin group. From the root of my drive I propagated ownership set to Administrators and Full access for Administrators to all child folders (replacing inheritable permissions on all child folders).

Still no luck. And I just noticed that this in fact happens for ANY .exe file I copy ANYWHERE. I can delete .exe files from where they are on the drive now, but as soon as I copy a .exe file to any other location, I can no longer delete it from that location. Annoying!

I guess it could simply be a bug. It's a beta after all..

You're most welcome

My apologies. To avoid double posting, I edited my post and added a few more information.

And just an after thought, have you tried deleting the files with an elevated explorer? To do this, click on Start, in the search type in explorer and in the result, right-click Windows Explorer and run as administrator.

 

[mobidutch]

Tried the scans, and tried the elevated explorer. No go . Also tried CMD prompt in elevated mode, but getting "Access denied" when trying to use "del" to remove the files.

What's weird is that when I open the properties of these files in Safe mode, it comes up right away showing the Administrator group as owner. And I can delete them just fine.

I'm stumped.

 

[Airbot]

You have the 7022 on disk? Try a repair install.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

 

[Chappy]

That does sound like some kinda bug doesn't it..hope you report it and I'm going to test also and report if I get the same results.

Very interesting. It certainly sounds like you know what you're doing so I immediately ruled out n00b stuff, I'll post if I get the same result.

EDIT - Nope, I don't get this result (build 7000 64bit). I can easily delete it and I refreshed immediately after and it did not come back. I also checked my %username%\Desktop folder to make sure the exe was in there after I drag/dropped it to the desktop, and confirmed it was removed after I deleted it from the desktop, so I can't reproduce this behavior.
Have you looked in your Desktop folder after you delete, and before you refresh it, to see if that exe is still in there after deleted from desktop?

 

[Airbot]

Yeah, it has never happened to me and I don't think I've heard of anybody else here with 7000 having this issue. Could be a bug in 7022, as that is what mobidutch is using.

 

[torrentg]

Yes, definitely a bug in 7022. Whenever I install something with .exe which is everything and want to overwrite one of them, it will not let me. Or delete. I have to move it to another folder first. If you delete it, it just shows right back up after a refresh. Then if you check later on, it really is gone. And sometimes not. If you try to take ownership after you delete it, it says you don't have permission and it says you are not allowed to view the owner of the file.

 

[torrentg]

You can use a program called eraser to erase the file permanently upon a system reboot. This is always successful. Eraser

 

[looniam]

i have had this problem in 7000. if i download or extract a .rar file that is an .exe onto my desktop i am not able to delete it, or even change ownership unless i reboot. sometimes it is not always the desktop folder i have this problem with but on others that are on a separate storage drive.

no offence, i DO NOT believe i should get a third party app for a flaw in an OS. and yes, i have use the 'send feedback' and i think i posted this problem here before without any reponse (in a windows explorer rant).

 

[Chappy]

i have had this problem in 7000. if i download or extract a .rar file that is an .exe onto my desktop i am not able to delete it, or even change ownership unless i reboot. sometimes it is not always the desktop folder i have this problem with but on others that are on a separate storage drive.

no offence, i DO NOT believe i should get a third party app for a flaw in an OS. and yes, i have use the 'send feedback' and i think i posted this problem here before without any reponse (in a windows explorer rant).

Hi looniam

Actually, yours is because WinRar still has ownership of that file until you reboot. Many times WinRar retains ownership of an unrar'd file even after it's been closed, even back in Vista it did this. I can't say this exact situation is reproduceable in Vista but I know many times users have to reboot Vista to get WinRar to let go of the files it has decompressed.