BleepingComputer.com: "ghost" extra desktop.ini files ?

A few days ago Norton identified and deleted sillyFDC. I updated all the virus files and did a full scan, and updated all the Spybot files and did a full scan. I was certain they were up-to-date, but wanted to make double-sure. I also double-checked to make sure all the Windows updates had been applied. So, I don't really think my issue has to do with the "silly" but I immediately catapault into scared mode when there are blocked problems, like this one.

Shortly after getting rid of the virus (maybe a day or two?), hubby pointed out two different desktop.ini file icons on the desktop, where there had been none before. Both are greyed out, and I'm afraid to delete them, since it says that windows may get SNAFU'd if I do. How do I determine whether it's OK to whack them? Should there only be ONE desktop.ini file on my system? If I do a search on desktop.ini it looks like there are a lot of them, with a variety of dates on them. Do you know how/where/why they would have appeared?

Is there any other information I can provide to help you help me with this?

Thank you for your assistance!!!

Dazed

Hi dazedandconfused this may or may not not help but may be worth a read. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321281

Thanks for the reply and the link, Weatherman, but its as clear as mud to me. I haven't set up any customized profiles (try to keep things simple), and generally avoid any tab marked "advanced". I have one Administrator account, and only one User account that hubby and I share. This has working fine for probably close to a year now, and I haven't seen any desktop.ini stuff anywhere in that time.

hi there, I wouldnt worry about those files you can delete them and it wont matter. By the way do you have "show hidden files and folders" switched on? Because it sounds like you do. If this is the case then that will be why you can see semi-transparent desktop.ini files on the desktop as they are always there but usually hidden. There is a setting that can be turned on and off to view hidden files as i refered to ealier.

Open a normal window , say... "documents", then click on the "organize" button (top lefthand side) and a drop down window will appear. Then click on "folder and search options" this will then open another small window with 3 tabs. Goto the "view" tab and inside that will be a window frame, you should be able to see the "show hidden files and folders" option in there, just click on "dont show hidden files and folders " and then go OK

Hope that helps, if you already knew this then disregard!

Thanks juztrax! I appreciate the info. And, yes, it turns out that I had "hidden files and folders" on - and when I re-hid them the little ghosts went away and my desktop looks like it used to, and I'm out of panic mode. Hurrah! Guess the ghosts were just here for Halloween.

Cool , glad it worked out for you.