when is a visible folder invisible?

[pawz7]

Hello folks, have joined to pick your honourable brain(s).

System XP SP3.

My friend (no, really, this is a real person, not me pretending to be someone else) at some time in the fairly recent past, downloaded or installed from somewhere, something called 'Shredder'. He doesn't learn, bless 'im. Twice now he has managed to completely eliminate all his docs, music and pics from a hard drive without knowing how and so completely that GetDataBack has not been able to recover anything - I know 'cos I was the schmuck who sat up all night trying to do that job.

Anyway; installed Shredder, did whatever he thought he wanted to do with it, which was probably just to fiddle around with it, decided he did not want it, and got rid of it. How I do not know.

Unhappily he did not do a proper job, with the result that there is a folder on the desktop called 'Shredder' which will not go.

If you right-click on it you get no context menu, so 'Unlocker' doesn't work. There is no installer string in Add/Remove or Revo Uninstaller so those options are out.

If you left-click on the folder you get offered the option to make a short-cut, and indeed you can, and you can delete the shortcuts you have created, but you cannot delete or drag the desktop folder into the recycle bin to get rid of it.

File Assassin cannot see it, and if you go into the Desktop Folder in Documents and Settings it does not appear there either (I did not look to see if hidden folders are enabled when I was there). It is found in a search, but again you cannot delete it from the search list.

Anyone know what needs to be done to get rid of it? I am happy in the registry and in CMD, just lack the knowledge of where I need to go, what syntax to use and what I need to change. Thanks hopefully :)

[andsome]

Can't help with this problem. Once it is sorted however, persuade him to invest in a plug in hard drive and ACRONIS or similar, and make a mirror image.

[pawz7]

Can't help with this problem. Once it is sorted however, persuade him to invest in a plug in hard drive and ACRONIS or similar, and make a mirror image.

He is at present gathering the bits and pieces to build a new system. When he gets all that done he will undoubtedly get Windows Seven, which has a back-up facility built in hasn't it? He just loves to 'fiddle' - I wonder what that does and what will happen if I ... and ooh, a free utility I can download :)

[-pops-]

If a W7 system is imminent, why bother patching up the current obsolete system?

For inveterate "fiddlers" a good backup or clone of the "C" drive is absolutely essential to avoid what has happened here.

Better still (as well as, not instead of) would be a Virtual Machine (see the W7 one http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/) So that any "dangerous" operations or changes don't wreck the whole system. http://www.virtualbox.org/ may be more suitable if your W7 version isn't suitable.

[rong]

You could try reinstalling shredder and uninstall it through the uninstaller that came with it (if it had one) or through add remove

[pawz7]

If a W7 system is imminent, why bother patching up the current obsolete system?

For inveterate "fiddlers" a good backup or clone of the "C" drive is absolutely essential to avoid what has happened here.

Better still (as well as, not instead of) would be a Virtual Machine (see the W7 one http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/) So that any "dangerous" operations or changes don't wreck the whole system. http://www.virtualbox.org/ may be more suitable if your W7 version isn't suitable.

pops, W7 is not 'imminent' as he has to buy the mobo yet, and the software of course, and being a pensioner this will take time - and to keep the problem in perspective, all that has happened here is a bad folder which he cannot get rid of.The system is not obsolete. He asks me what to do about it and I am trying to find an answer.

[pawz7]

You could try reinstalling shredder and uninstall it through the uninstaller that came with it (if it had one) or through add remove

good advice rong - but I can't find anything called 'Shredder', and I suspect, if I did, that it would not have its own uninstaller anyway.

I hoped someone here might say 'ah yes, that suggests a corrupt (something) and here is what you do about it', but perhaps I was being too optimistic :)

[rong]

Then perhaps you could give CCleaner a try most on here use it it clears out the crap on the computer and at it's default settings has never caused me any problems in years of use

[pawz7]

Then perhaps you could give CCleaner a try most on here use it it clears out the crap on the computer and at it's default settings has never caused me any problems in years of use

more good advice - tried it when I was there :)

[MANEMAN]

CCleaner wins again then.

I wouldn't have thought it would have solved the problem........ What do I know ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

John.

[pawz7]

CCleaner wins again then.

I wouldn't have thought it would have solved the problem........ What do I know ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

John.

you are right John, it did not solve the problem - we went through the cleaning of Apps, system and registry in CCleaner. I feel that the problem may have something to do with the Shell, but I do not know what. When I am next down there I might try context viewer to see if I can re-enable the context menu when I right-click on the folder - but am not hopeful. I will also trawl through the registry, but again, do not expect that it will have a key, though it MIGHT be listed as a desktop icon in HKCU or something.

Computers are fun, Fun, FUN!!

[MANEMAN]

:)

Try doing all the stuff you done before but in "Safe Mode" ?

Delete contents of "Icon Cache" - *** CLICK HERE ***

Have a look right through the "XP Fixes" on "Kellys Korner" - ** CLICK HERE **

Make a registry backup with something like ** ERUNT ** first, and you can then click away to your hearts content on those Kelly's fixes.

I suppose a "System Restore Point" rollback is out of the question, or that you have maybe already tried it ? :(

Move the folder to the extreme left top of screen, and cover the folder area with duct tape or one of those little gold stick on stars.

Cover the folder with a "Fake Bullet Hole" and convince the guy he has got something really special.

Do a non-destructible Windows XP Repair. - ** CLICK HERE**

Last resort............ re-install Windows XP !!!!!!!!!!!

.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.

Return the computer to the guy with **RETURNIL FREE ** installed. (Make sure it's the free version for XP)

Because the customer is now working in a virtual operating system. Everytime He/she restarts or re-boots their computer they have the same operating system which you installed originally. (Could have been months before.)

Freaks them out a bit at first :) , but once they realise they can "fiddle" as much as they wish without causing any damage........ They start to like it.

John.

[pawz7]

:)

Try doing all the stuff you done before but in "Safe Mode" ?

Delete contents of "Icon Cache" - *** CLICK HERE ***

Have a look right through the "XP Fixes" on "Kellys Korner" - ** CLICK HERE **

Make a registry backup with something like ** ERUNT ** first, and you can then click away to your hearts content on those Kelly's fixes.

I suppose a "System Restore Point" rollback is out of the question, or that you have maybe already tried it ? :(

Move the folder to the extreme left top of screen, and cover the folder area with duct tape or one of those little gold stick on stars.

Cover the folder with a "Fake Bullet Hole" and convince the guy he has got something really special.

Do a non-destructible Windows XP Repair. - ** CLICK HERE**

Last resort............ re-install Windows XP !!!!!!!!!!!

.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.

Return the computer to the guy with **RETURNIL FREE ** installed. (Make sure it's the free version for XP)

Because the customer is now working in a virtual operating system. Everytime He/she restarts or re-boots their computer they have the same operating system which you installed originally. (Could have been months before.)

Freaks them out a bit at first :) , but once they realise they can "fiddle" as much as they wish without causing any damage........ They start to like it.

John.

Safe mode - you think that necessary? Hmm, maybe; nothing to lose..

deleting the icon cache - yes, that might work. thanks for that John.

Dear ol Kelly's Korner; haven't been there for yonks. Good idea, I will mosey along..

He has had this 'stuck folder' for several weeks so a pre-problem system restore did not seem a good idea

Ha, your patch-it idea would get a laugh - but he would still know it was there underneath... :)

I will wait for a bit on the XP Repair idea and the rest as I suspect there are other worms in the wood biding their time - he is

always downloading 'funweb' type stuff without regard to risk - caution is not in his nature, so sooner or later I will have to sort out

something major - and maybe that will be the time to sort this out as well, but I will go for the icon cache rebuild for now.

Thanks John. I will come back if there is a successful result. I shall send Bob instructions (he lives 20 miles away and fuel is NOT

getting any cheaper), but he always follows guidance to the letter.

[MANEMAN]

Get yourselves all wired up with *** TEAMVIEWER ** and you wont have to leave your seat by the television screen. :)

Get Returnil on his computer, and you wont have to use "Teamviewer"

It's called "Cutting back the workload" B)

John.

[pawz7]

Get yourselves all wired up with *** TEAMVIEWER ** and you wont have to leave your seat by the television screen. :)

Get Returnil on his computer, and you wont have to use "Teamviewer"

It's called "Cutting back the workload" B)

John.

John I have now downloaded both above softwares to have a play with and if I think he will go for it I will probably recommend Returnil to Bob. Thank you :)

ps what's a 'television'?? :)

[pawz7]

John, just to say, the problem has now been sorted. Bob could not cope with my instructions for deleting the icon cache, and a batch file I sent to do it got blocked, so I gave him the website for a fresh copy of shelliconfix.exe, which he downloaded and used and zap! So, thank you for your help. I have passed the mention of Returnil and Team Viewer to him - up to him what he does about them :)