Windows Missing Desktop File [solved]

I few weeks ago i deleted a file from my desktop, but for some reason it left an icon there. I can't delete it, as it says it cannot find the file (because I deleted it), and there's nothing I can do to remove it.



If I try and delete it Windows says it cannot find it on the desktop, but right clicking on the icon to view its properties, shows its location as the desktop. I need to get this icon off my desktop... driving my nuts. Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

Tried booting into safe mode and deleting from there?

 

Update. I kind of fixed it by creating another Desktop folder, and telling windows that this is now the default Desktop location. However.... when I go to the old desktop folder in order to delete it, it now says THAT is no longer there... even though it clearly is... I can see it... I can open it. When I open it... that same missing file is there... laughing at me.



It's not refusing to delete the old Desktop folder because if this file inside it, it now says the entire desktop folder is not actually there.

So it seems that it thinks the whole desktop folder is not there when it is. Depite thinking this, until a few minutes ago, that folder was my working desktop folder with no issue... except one - that damned file I can't delete. I can still open it... I can save files to it. Despite this, when I come to delete it, Windows says it does not exist.

Yes, that was the first thing I did. I still cannot delete it, or the old desktop folder in safe mode. I also tried deleting desktop.ini Windows refuses to interact with this file because it insists it cannot find it. In fact, it insists that the entire desktop folder is missing, even though I can save new files to it, and delete them from it... it's all something to do with that original missing file.

 

Not tried that, no. Will give it a go later and let you know how I get on.

 

Have you run a chkdsk? It might be part of the file system records which are causing the issue.

 

chkdsk showed nothing wrong. I think I just need to boot into another OS, or a USB drive and delete from a command prompt or something similar as suggested above, as nothing I do in windows seems to work.

 

It's kinda ancient, but maybe try FileASSASIN? https://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1092

 

This is a win 95 fix, but...
Can you save a new version of the file with the same name and replace the bad one?

 

Even booting from another bootable disk and using a command prompt, it still can't "find" that file.

 

Can't fix it. so going nuclear. Copying all files except that old desktop file to another hard drive, then formatting the original drive, then moving then all back and creating a new desktop folder. A pain in the ass, but at least it should work. Will take hours though. Thanks for trying to help anyway.

 

I fixed it the brute force way, but just to let you know that I tried that, and as expected, it asked me if I wanted to replace the original file, then says can't find original file... LOL

 

Glad it's sorted even if a hassle.

Windows does like to randomly go "mmmk, I'll just annoy you now with something random for no logical reason".

 

Now that I think about it, my fix only worked in XTreeGold.

 

Nobody likes a showoff.