A mystery file has appeared on my desktop, and it won't go away. The name is CA4SUFOS, it ha 0 bytes and it's properties list it as a 'file', nothing else. Normal delete, Kremlin and Eat Tec Eraser all tell me it doesn't exist. Anyone got any ideas?

A mystery file has appeared on my desktop, and it won't go away. The name is CA4SUFOS, it ha 0 bytes and it's properties list it as a 'file', nothing else. Normal delete, Kremlin and Eat Tec Eraser all tell me it doesn't exist. Anyone got any ideas?

if you have win/xp go to my comp. and open it go to program files and see if it listed there if so delete it it will not hurt you computer I have done this many times on files I no longer had installed but there folders were still in program files ask CDNVIC he knows a lot about comp. to be sure

If you're sure it's of no importance then there are a couple of programs that will "delete on reboot", do a search for that and you can get rid of it that way.

These are an annoyance. There's a few tricks that remove some of them but the easiest way is to use a freeware utility called Move on Boot.

After installing just right-click the file and choose the option to delete it at the next reboot, then reboot and this utility should take care of it.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html

These are an annoyance. There's a few tricks that remove some of them but the easiest way is to use a freeware utility called Move on Boot.

After installing just right-click the file and choose the option to delete it at the next reboot, then reboot and this utility should take care of it.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html

No luck, not even the pro version will remove it. Do you know what it is, is it important?

Create a new folder, move the offending file to the folder, delete the entire folder.

I found this worked every time for me.

Create a new folder, move the offending file to the folder, delete the entire folder.

I found this worked every time for me.

I tried that, it didn't work! I can't delete it or move it because it doesn't exist, or so it tells me!

Killbox might be worth a try.

Still no joy, that program didn't work either! Just what do I have to do to get shot of this!

The person at this link had some success with the Delete FXP Files utility.

Right-click and try renaming it oldfile.txt then try deleting it.

(You may have to try doing these things in safe mode)

go to start: run: regedit

find all occurences of file name and delete those entries

go to start: run: regedit

find all occurences of file name and delete those entries

I'd never recommend rummaging through the registry to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

What exact message are you getting when you try to delete it?

Delete FXP didn't work, it didn't find it. It won't let me rename it, not even in safe mode. Regedit didn't find it. Messages I get are 'cannot read from the source file or disk' and 'file does not exist'.

go to start: run: regedit

find all occurences of file name and delete those entries

I'd never recommend rummaging through the registry to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Did i say "rummage" ? Did OP say he doesn't know what he is doing?

Right-click on the file, choose 'open with...'

choose 'notepad'

Windows should give you an error like:

"This file does not exist. Would you like to create a new one?"

click 'yes'

Now you should have some blank notepad window in front of you. Type some random characters into it and then save the file. Now try deleting it.

Delete FXP didn't work, it didn't find it. It won't let me rename it, not even in safe mode. Regedit didn't find it. Messages I get are 'cannot read from the source file or disk' and 'file does not exist'.

Right click and select "Properties" and see what it says for 'Location' and 'Type of file'. Possibly a link to an external drive (flash/CD/DVD) that is no longer there.

Sierra01, I had the exact same problem many times before. If this does not work, nothing else would.

Install this small (191kb) freeware Unlocker and you should get rid of your problem. Here's the link to direct download if it makes it any easier for you.

After installing, you should get an explorer extension for Unlocker. Right click the problem file and select Unlocker from the extension. You have options to : delete, rename or move. Since these files are just garbage files, I suggest you select "Delete" and you should be done.

Hope this clears your problem.

The notepad idea didn't work, it just created another one, but i was able to delete that one.

The location was 'desktop' and the type of file was 'file'.

That's the bad news, the good news is that the Unlocker program deleted it straight away!

Many thanks everyone, it didn't seem to be doing anything, just getting on my nerves by just being there and cluttering up my orderly desktop.

Think I'll grab a copy of that program

Think I'll grab a copy of that program

I've had a copy for a while now and completely forgot about it.