Please help me remove a rogue file

**digmen1** · 08-12-2006, 12:31 AM

Hi guys

I had a large file that was causing me problems when I tried to delete it using Windows XP.

It came up with can't delete as the file is in use by another program, this was not the case as I had re-booted.

After trying for several days I went into DOS and managed to delete the file using the command del *.*

I then wanted to remove the folder. But when I typed the command RD foldername it would not let me.

So a did a dir /a for attribute and lo and behold there is a hidden file there.

It is called Thumbs.db.

But if I try to unhide it using attrib /h thumbs.db it comes up with an error message i have never seen before

Not resetting file attribute.

Can anyone help me delete all files within a folder with no question and without any problems ?

Or remove a folder with a hidden file in it ?

Regards

Digby
NZ

**peat moss** · 08-12-2006, 01:51 AM

Have you tried renaming the file or moving then delete ? Ive never had that problem but know there's software to help you .

A quick Google mentions Move On Boot , I remember a program mention on here called " Unlocker " ?

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

**digmen1** · 08-12-2006, 04:18 AM

Hi Peatmoss

I downloaded that unlocker program and it worked first time !

I have spent quite a bit of time on this damn file lately and about 2 hours this morning. But that Unlocker got rid of it with ease !

What a great program !

Isn't the Internet great

Isn't FileSharing Talk great

Isn't Google great !

And you too

Thanks a million.

If I had Pay Pal I'd send that guy something.

Kind Regards

Digby
NZ

**backlash** · 08-12-2006, 01:56 PM

thumbs.db isn't a bad file. It's stored thumbnails.

**dml** · 08-13-2006, 10:14 AM

Yeh eventhough thumbnails isn't a "bad file", you never know when Windows can mess up and lock a folder like that. I don't use thumbnails so I got rid of all the thumbs.db. Anyways a program I use to delete any files is o&o safe erase, it deletes anything, even wipes entire hardrives, with different algorythims so they cant be restored.

**Chewie** · 08-13-2006, 11:12 AM

Open My Computer and click Folder Options on the Tools menu.
Click the View tab.
Enable Do not cache thumbnails by putting a checkmark in the box.
Click OK to exit.

**limesqueezer** · 08-13-2006, 01:06 PM

Any file is easy to delete, that why i have 3 windows. Probably windows is using this file and this file Thumbs.db isn't needed anyway, why have u not disable it ?
I think thats how your spyware in Thumbs.db spreads on your puter. Whenever this file is created, thats when u see files as thumbs, this spreads. But deleteing this one Thumbs.db file won't stop the spyware to create another one when u open the same folder with thumbs. U better not use this Thumbs.db to log your thumbs. Unlocker is good, but its onyl needed when some program is using another one but it won't solve your spyware/trojan problem.

**truetejas** · 08-15-2006, 06:31 AM

limesqueezer, are you saying thumbs.db is a trojan? What spyware/trojan problem are you referring to?

The thumbs.db file is a database of thumbnail images which is created in every folder by default. You can turn this function off, as Chewie detailed in a previous post, and that eliminates the creation of the thumbs.db files (but you will not be able to see thumbnail images in Windows Explorer then).

**limesqueezer** · 08-15-2006, 09:16 AM

Yes im saying that, listen carefully. Every trojan is a file name used by sytem, thats the basic of trojan. Trojan replaces the original or changed it.