Please help me remove a rogue file

[digmen1]

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]

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]

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]

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

[dml]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Barbarossa]

(but you will not be able to see thumbnail images in Windows Explorer then).

Errr, yeah you can, it just doesn't cache the images, it creates them on the fly :stars:

[Chewie]

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.
What?
Not every trojan replaces system files or uses the same filename in a different folder. In fact, they rarely do.

[Virtualbody1234]

Also the fact that a file is difficult to delete doesn't make it a trojan.

[limesqueezer]

I had this problem and this file is hidden and also it is in any thumbs folder and folders can be deleted.

[Chewie]

Could you explain that please?

If a file is being used (or has been used and not 'let go' properly by the process using it) then Windows will not allow you to delete it, its parent folder or any other parental folders in the tree in which it resides.

thumbs.db is a Windows file. It's a cache of image thumbnails in the folder in which it resides. It isn't executable but referenced by Explorer when rendering the folder contents as thumbnail images.

Personally I think they're a waste of space; I turn their generation off and delete all instances on my systems.

[limesqueezer]

I didn't say it isn't a windows file, just normal thumbs.db file doesn't cause any problems. If u can't remove a file than it is used by something and that can only mean that the computer is infected.

[Barbarossa]

I didn't say it isn't a windows file, just normal thumbs.db file doesn't cause any problems. If u can't remove a file than it is used by something and that can only mean that the computer is infected.

Wrong again. :lol: It could just be in use by another process :frusty:

[limesqueezer]

Can u stop with this smartassing, really ? Everybody knows what thumbs.db is, if u just found out on net about thumbs.db u don't know anything.
I had this problem and my computer crashed when i opened a folder and thumbs.db was infected. Emty folders don't crash and btw thumbs.db can't be used on a clean disk, cause it stops working when the thumbs are created.
Now tell me more....im all ears noobs
Im done with this thread.

[Virtualbody1234]

I didn't say it isn't a windows file, just normal thumbs.db file doesn't cause any problems. If u can't remove a file than it is used by something and that can only mean that the computer is infected.
Again I say...

... the fact that a file is difficult to delete doesn't make it a trojan.

[limesqueezer]

Good for u ;D

[nanotek]

i dont have trojans as i dont check to see if i have them :D

[Chewie]

Can u stop with this smartassing, really ? Everybody knows what thumbs.db is, if u just found out on net about thumbs.db u don't know anything.
I'll do you a deal.
I'll stop 'smartassing' if you stop talking crap.

If you know what thumbs.db files are then why did you post this utter rubbish...

...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.
Malware has nothing do do with thumbs.db.
What possible use to malware, is the thumbs.db file in a folder where the View setting is thumbnails? Explorer will change the contents almost completely every time the folder is refreshed?
You have erroneously concluded that the original poster has a malware problem purely because the thumb.db file couldn't be deleted.

I had this problem and my computer crashed when i opened a folder and thumbs.db was infected. Emty folders don't crash and btw thumbs.db can't be used on a clean disk, cause it stops working when the thumbs are created.
Now tell me more....im all ears noobs
Im done with this thread.
What? Unless the feature is disabled, when thumbnails are shown, thumbs.db is created and is therefore 'working'. The reason it doesn't 'work' on a clean disk is because Explorer sees there are no files to create thumbnails for. Ergo, no thumbnails.


Good for u ;D
I thought you were finished with this thread.

I think we're all finished with this thread now.
Closed.