Can someone tell me how to delete a file. It does not have an ext. It lists in the root of C: as (small icon of Windows) then what looks to be 8 underline characters, and it has no extension. Shows 4KBs

If I click on properties it shows:

Type: File
Location: C:\
Size: 0 bytes (0 bytes used)

It will not let me rename it!

Thanks.

Bob

First of all, why do you want to delete the file? Just because it appears empty doesn't mean it has no purpose. Sometimes even blank spaces in Windows files are important. Unless you have a good reason to, don't delete any system files. I don't know what that might be from your description. Can't recall and too lazy to boot a 2000 machine but I believe the default in 2000 is to NOT show file extensions for common file types. You can change the parameters for that if desired. Also, right clicking and choosing properties will show the attributes. If the file is marked Read only untick it.

If you're sure you don't need it you may be able to delete it in safe mode or dos.

I don't think this is it:

http://www.pchell.com/support/tilde...

but you might want to check anyway. Does the file show on your desktop or just as a file on your C: drive?

DAVEINCAPS

The file appears when I go to Windows Explorer where it lists all the directories and files on the C:\ drive.

It is the first file on the list, alpha, where the other files show such as logo.sys, Msdos.sys, etc.

_______ now, your looking at it! This is it.
Just a series of underline char. preceeded by a small windows icon as the other files have.

I know what your saying, OtheHill -- leave well enough alone. But, you see, that's the way I am. I know I'll end up doing a format, sooner or later. Yikes!

Bob

Did you try removing it from safe mode as DAVIDCAPS suggested? If that didn't work possibly booting from a live version of Linux and removing it from within Linux.
Knoppix is one such distro.

Have you checked the attributes as OtheHill suggested? A read-only attribute will keep it from being renamed or deleted.

OtheHill and DAVEINCAPS

These things did not work:

Safe Mode -- delete, send to, attributes thing, rename.

MSDOS delete, rename, copy to

Puzzling, because it has a Windows icon?

Thnaks for your input...

Bob

Then try using Linux on it. When doing that you are totally out of the Windows environment. There may be other ways too.

I have had files that acted like this one appears to be acting. Many times they turned out to be shadow files that weren't actually there anymore. A reboot confirmed that. I assume that isn't the case here?

Unless the file is in use or its attributes prevent it, you should be able to delete it. Just checking the attributes doesn't change anything about the file so doing that wouldn't let it be deleted afterwards. And you never said what the attributes were.

The windows icon is a generic file icon. It's used for a few file types (you can view them at START--SETTINGS--FOLDER OPTIONS--FILE TYPES) and for files with no extension and/or those which windows doesn't recognize. I wouldn't attach any significance to its usage of that particular icon.

A program I use in 98se to erase those files
that wont delete, is the latest version of
eraser, It gives you the option to right
click on a file & choose "erase" from the
right click menu of options, & if it wont
erase then it'll ask you if you'd like to
erase it on the next reboot, to which always
seems to work for me..

The download page;
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/download...

It's freeware, download version 5.82 or 5.83 or 5.84

Hi again.

KenOath, the Eraser program did not do the job (at least the version that Win98 will run). I could not delete the file.

It came to me the other day that there was something I hadn't tried yet: The old-tried-and-true MSBACKUP.EXE that many of us grew up with!

I still use MSBACKUP.EXE even today, even though many more glorified backup programs exist.

If you're familiar with this backup program, it selects everything that you could possibly back up, then it allows you to "uncheck" the box for each file that you don't want to back up. It worked!

Also, in Nero burning, it allows you to delete a file that you have dragged into the compilation window with a bunch of others, previously.

I am happy that I will never see that "unknown" file violating my beloved Windows 98 SE again.

Thanks for the input everyone - you know who you are.

Bob