- Reappearing Program Files Folder
- Posted by Wilford on February 26th, 2006
I recently installed a fresh copy of windows XP home today, and I am
trying to clean out all the crap I don't want on the pc. Some stuff
that I tried to get off will not go away,and I have tried many things
to get rid of them. I have tried going into safe mode and deleteing
them, but they keep reappearing, I have tried to rename them, but the
original folder just reappears. I cannot delete them through regular
mode, since it says it's being used by something, yet nothing I know of
is using them. Even though I removed them through add/remove prgms>
add/remove windows components, they keep appearing. I've tried going
through msconfig, and nothing seems to allow me to delete them.
Can anyone tell me how to get rid of these folders for good?
They are the following:
C:\Program Files\microsoft frontpage
C:\Program Files\movie maker
C:\Program Files\msn gaming zone
C:\Program Files\netmeeting
C:\Program Files\outlook express
C:\Program Files\xerox
I have none of these programs running, and the folders are all empty,
except for maybe one empty folder within.
- Posted by Carey Frisch [MVP] on February 26th, 2006
Those are Windows XP system folders. They are part
of the operating system and cannot be removed.
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------
"Wilford" wrote:
| I recently installed a fresh copy of windows XP home today, and I am
| trying to clean out all the crap I don't want on the pc. Some stuff
| that I tried to get off will not go away,and I have tried many things
| to get rid of them. I have tried going into safe mode and deleteing
| them, but they keep reappearing, I have tried to rename them, but the
| original folder just reappears. I cannot delete them through regular
| mode, since it says it's being used by something, yet nothing I know of
| is using them. Even though I removed them through add/remove prgms>
| add/remove windows components, they keep appearing. I've tried going
| through msconfig, and nothing seems to allow me to delete them.
|
| Can anyone tell me how to get rid of these folders for good?
|
|
|
| They are the following:
| C:\Program Files\microsoft frontpage
| C:\Program Files\movie maker
| C:\Program Files\msn gaming zone
| C:\Program Files\netmeeting
| C:\Program Files\outlook express
| C:\Program Files\xerox
|
| I have none of these programs running, and the folders are all empty,
| except for maybe one empty folder within.
- Posted by Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers on February 26th, 2006
Hi,
What is "them"?
I suspect this is not a fresh install, but rather a dirty one - either a
dirty one or a repair. In either case, doing this does not resolve problems
caused by other programs, but I suspect you know that now.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Wilford" <mariognome@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1140992463.301307.57740@i40g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
- Posted by Richard Urban on February 26th, 2006
You are trying to delete system protected files. If you could do it, so
could some hijacker who takes over your computer. Leave them alone!
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
"Wilford" <mariognome@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1140992463.301307.57740@i40g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
- Posted by Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers on February 26th, 2006
Oh, I see the folders you listed now - for some reason the original post did
not display fully. Those are all default folders that are part of the WinXP
installation and are considered protected system folders. You cannot remove
them, nor does having them cause any issues regardless of whether or not you
use them.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:%23gom3SyOGHA.2064@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
- Posted by NoStop on February 27th, 2006
On Sunday 26 February 2006 02:29 pm, Carey Frisch [MVP] had this to say in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:
ehem, it is Windoze after all.
--
Windows is to operating systems like Dick Cheney is to hunters...
Dangerous to be anywhere close to.
- Posted by Shenan Stanley on February 27th, 2006
Wilford wrote:
http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/ar...16/258220.aspx
However - I guess you *could* delete them - *if* you turned off Windows File
Protection.. Which I am *NOT* recommending.
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
- Posted by Carey Frisch [MVP] on February 27th, 2006
Your contribution = zero
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
"Numnuts NoStop" wrote:
- Posted by Talahasee on February 27th, 2006
On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 17:27:46 -0800, NoStop
<nostop@nospam.com> wrote:
It DOES make sense. Are you more concerned with HOW Windows
XP works? Or are you more concerned with THAT it works?
I don't particularly care HOW it works; I care that when I
need to do something, Windows XP gets the job done.
And-- as a non-technical person-- I am guessing that the
"empty folders" are used for TEMPORARY storage, when the
system has to put 500 mb of something "here" BRIEFLY, and
then move it someplace ELSE.
I have gone looking for a file and found probably
half-a-dozen empty folders. I have thought to myself, "Oh!
That's where Windows puts the stuff!"
No problem! I even tested the theory by attempting to
delete the folder. Couldn't.
Then again,
Set up your Mac or your Linux so that
1 it does ALL the same stuff my PC with XP PRO does,
and
2 make it easy enough to put together that I can build it
myself, from the generic parts
(which I've done the last half-dozen times I've "bought new
computers")
and then come and tell me.
Good luck!
Tallahassee
- Posted by PopS on February 27th, 2006
"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in
message news:u218JoyOGHA.536@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
Hmm, and I was just saying to myself, "Self, why -shouldn't- I be
able to delete them if I want to?" But, I'll buy that; good
point!
I ass-u-me it's OK for those folders to contain no files though?
I think the OP claimed they were empty folders! No, not gonna
test it to find out<g>!
Pop
- Posted by Richard Urban on February 27th, 2006
Those folders are on hundreds of millions of computers without causing any
problems. Only those who are clean freaks have a problem with them.
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
"PopS" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:%23Rp$3D7OGHA.3272@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
- Posted by NoStop on February 27th, 2006
On Sunday 26 February 2006 07:37 pm, Carey Frisch [MVP] had this to say in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:
--
Windows is to operating systems like Dick Cheney is to hunters...
Dangerous to be anywhere close to.
