Unable to delete file from desktop

[iFargle]

Apparently killing explorer.exe might help
Undeletable File - Delete - Windows 7 Forums

Kill explorer.exe, open up a command prompt, and delete it as per office politics first post there, and once it's deleted open up task manager and restart explorer.exe (Applications > New Task > "explorer.exe" without quotes)

 

[Veraster]

Horrible idea. UAC is there to prevent users from being heavily infected (although most people just click "Yes" or "Allow" anyway). There's been times where it's saved my butt with drive-by downloads.

My antivirus software gives me enough of a head's up on the stuff that actually has virus-similar code instead of telling me it's a bad idea to do anything like opening a microsoft word file or install firefox like UAC does. It's much less annoying. I haven't used UAC since I turned it off the day I installed Windows 7 about a week after launch (8 days to be exact).
But hey, if you've acquired a tolerance to UAC, to each his own.

Anyway, if everything you've tried still can't delete that file, boot from an Ubuntu Live CD, browse to your desktop in "*some number*GB volume:/Users/*yourusername*/Desktop/" and then delete it. Then restart and boot back into windows.

 

[carnageX]

My antivirus software gives me enough of a head's up on the stuff that actually has virus-similar code instead of telling me it's a bad idea to do anything like opening a microsoft word file or install firefox like UAC does. It's much less annoying. I haven't used UAC since I turned it off the day I installed Windows 7 about a week after launch (8 days to be exact).
But hey, if you've acquired a tolerance to UAC, to each his own.

Anyway, if everything you've tried still can't delete that file, boot from an Ubuntu Live CD, browse to your desktop in "*some number*GB volume:/Users/*yourusername*/Desktop/" and then delete it. Then restart and boot back into windows.

I turn it to the minimum setting, so it doesn't blacken the screen but still comes up with the prompts.

 

[Johnaldo]

Hi all,
In the end I downloaded Unlocker and deleted it - all in less than 5 minutes.
Thanks for all your help
Johnaldo