Unwanted system folder appeared.

[gordon bennet]

Has anybody had an unwanted system folder appear in 'my computer' that will
not go away? The folder cannot be deleted and cannot be opened. On right
clicking the description system folder column and clicking properties opens
the system information panel in control panel. Any clues? i'm running W98SE
--
a thanks from gordon bennet

[Ron Badour]

Sometimes applications leave folders in My Computer or on the desktop after
they are uninstalled. Open the registry editor (regedit.exe) to the
appropriate key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

Look for an entry that looks differently from the others or refers to the
program. Export the key so you can restore it in case of problems and then
delete the entry.


--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"gordon bennet" > wrote in message
...
> Has anybody had an unwanted system folder appear in 'my computer' that
> will
> not go away? The folder cannot be deleted and cannot be opened. On right
> clicking the description system folder column and clicking properties
> opens
> the system information panel in control panel. Any clues? i'm running
> W98SE
> --
> a thanks from gordon bennet

[jane]

Hi Ron,
Would it be something that you could do from Dos?
ie, could you just ' rd ' and let it sort itself from there?
(I shouldnt even be posting, have so much study to do,
but this sort of thing is along the lines of my study, so...)

regards Jane

"Ron Badour" > wrote in message
...
> Sometimes applications leave folders in My Computer or on the desktop
after
> they are uninstalled. Open the registry editor (regedit.exe) to the
> appropriate key:
>
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\Deskto
p\NameSpace
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\MyComp
uter\NameSpace
>
> Look for an entry that looks differently from the others or refers to the
> program. Export the key so you can restore it in case of problems and
then
> delete the entry.
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
> Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> Knowledge Base Info:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
>
> "gordon bennet" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Has anybody had an unwanted system folder appear in 'my computer' that
> > will
> > not go away? The folder cannot be deleted and cannot be opened. On
right
> > clicking the description system folder column and clicking properties
> > opens
> > the system information panel in control panel. Any clues? i'm running
> > W98SE
> > --
> > a thanks from gordon bennet
>
>

[Gary S. Terhune]

These "folders" aren't directories, Jane. They aren't part of the file
system. They're imaginary folders, shortcuts, really, that are created
by entries in the Registry. You get rid of them by getting rid of the
entries that create them.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"jane" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Ron,
> Would it be something that you could do from Dos?
> ie, could you just ' rd ' and let it sort itself from there?
> (I shouldnt even be posting, have so much study to do,
> but this sort of thing is along the lines of my study, so...)
>
> regards Jane
>
> "Ron Badour" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Sometimes applications leave folders in My Computer or on the
desktop
> after
> > they are uninstalled. Open the registry editor (regedit.exe) to the
> > appropriate key:
> >
> >
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\De
skto
> p\NameSpace
> >
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\explorer\My
Comp
> uter\NameSpace
> >
> > Look for an entry that looks differently from the others or refers
to the
> > program. Export the key so you can restore it in case of problems
and
> then
> > delete the entry.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Regards
> >
> > Ron Badour, MS MVP Windows 98
> > Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
> > Knowledge Base Info:
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo
> >
> > "gordon bennet" > wrote in
message
> > ...
> > > Has anybody had an unwanted system folder appear in 'my computer'
that
> > > will
> > > not go away? The folder cannot be deleted and cannot be opened.
On
> right
> > > clicking the description system folder column and clicking
properties
> > > opens
> > > the system information panel in control panel. Any clues? i'm
running
> > > W98SE
> > > --
> > > a thanks from gordon bennet
> >
> >
>
>

[jane]

> These "folders" aren't directories, Jane. They aren't part of the file
> system. They're imaginary folders, shortcuts, really, that are created
> by entries in the Registry. You get rid of them by getting rid of the
> entries that create them.

Thanks gary,
Cleared one thing up, buuuut,,,,,
If they are imaginary, (so to speak), Why did something as smart as the
Registry
create/make them in the first place? (or is it an Entry in the Reg that
created an Entry within itself even though it Knew it wasnt Real
anyway).
(i love my d/t)

regards Jane

[Gary S. Terhune]

Well, Jane... *Everything* you see on the screen is imaginary, isn't it?

I was referring more to the fact that while most of the stuff you see is
an imaginary depiction of a file or directory (even LNK files are real
files), "NameSpace" items are not. Real shortcuts, or "normal" files and
directories, "reside" in a real directory--in the case of the Desktop,
there really is a directory in which the items displayed exist, and
those items exist even when you shut down or change Shell (to a DOS
box, for instance), NameSpace items are fabricated from instructions
given by the Registry, "on the fly", so to speak.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"jane" > wrote in message
...
>
> > These "folders" aren't directories, Jane. They aren't part of the
file
> > system. They're imaginary folders, shortcuts, really, that are
created
> > by entries in the Registry. You get rid of them by getting rid of
the
> > entries that create them.
>
> Thanks gary,
> Cleared one thing up, buuuut,,,,,
> If they are imaginary, (so to speak), Why did something as smart as
the
> Registry
> create/make them in the first place? (or is it an Entry in the Reg
that
> created an Entry within itself even though it Knew it wasnt Real
> anyway).
> (i love my d/t)
>
> regards Jane
>
>

[Jeff Richards]

The registry isn't intelligent - it's just a repository. It's up to the OS
and the applications to use the registry properly. The system provides a
facility for applications to create these 'virtual' folders using a registry
entry, and it assumes they will be done properly. In fact, it would be
extremely difficult to determine which ones were supposed to be there and
which weren't, as evidenced by how often registry cleaners such as Norton
get it wrong.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"jane" > wrote in message
...
>
> snip <
>
> Thanks gary,
> Cleared one thing up, buuuut,,,,,
> If they are imaginary, (so to speak), Why did something as smart as the
> Registry
> create/make them in the first place? (or is it an Entry in the Reg that
> created an Entry within itself even though it Knew it wasnt Real
> anyway).
> (i love my d/t)
>
> regards Jane

[gordon bennet]

"Jeff Richards" wrote:

> The registry isn't intelligent - it's just a repository. It's up to the OS
> and the applications to use the registry properly. The system provides a
> facility for applications to create these 'virtual' folders using a registry
> entry, and it assumes they will be done properly. In fact, it would be
> extremely difficult to determine which ones were supposed to be there and
> which weren't, as evidenced by how often registry cleaners such as Norton
> get it wrong.
> --
> Jeff Richards
> MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
> "jane" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > snip <
> >
> > Thanks gary,
> > Cleared one thing up, buuuut,,,,,
> > If they are imaginary, (so to speak), Why did something as smart as the
> > Registry
> > create/make them in the first place? (or is it an Entry in the Reg that
> > created an Entry within itself even though it Knew it wasnt Real
> > anyway).
> > (i love my d/t)
> >
> > regards Jane
>
>Thanks for the input i have tried Norton Utilities on this with a scan but as you say it got it wrong. I will try digging in with the registry editor as suggested. Thanks for now.