# Embarassing computer problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754 "2002-07-31T21:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/1 "2002-07-31T21:10:00Z")
Just recently I was downloading some pictures off of Kazaa Lite… I got a file named something like “BRITTANY SPEARS F\*\*\* RAPE PORN…” you get the idea… Anyway, it took me about 3 seconds to realize this wasn’t actually a picture, and every time I tried to view it in Kazaa, it crashed the program. I can’t delete it either, or open it in Notepad… I get an “Access Denied” message. If I try do delete the folder it’s in, it says “Cannot find file so and so”. I’ve also scanned it with Norton and it didn’t detect it as a virus… Help! What is this file? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/2 "2002-07-31T21:30:40Z")
Ad aware might be able to get rid of it for you, I would reccomend downloading a copy anyhoo. ---
**Author:** ![Skippman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skippman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skippman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/3 "2002-07-31T21:31:33Z")
More than likely it’s a Tojan. You failed to mention what version of Windows your running. Your probably going to have to go “old school” and boot with a floppy, go to where the file is, and manually delete it. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/4 "2002-07-31T21:54:18Z")
Yeah, I guess I did leave out some key points… I’m using Norton, and the file’s (apparent) type is a JPEG. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/5 "2002-07-31T22:14:38Z")
JPEG wouldn’t be a virus. I have never known a virus to be a jpg file. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/6 "2002-07-31T22:22:42Z")
Have you got windows set up to hide extensions of known file types? - if you have, it might not be a jpg, but something like filename.jpg.exe, which would make it a program. Have you tried \\\ and looking for it in the task list?; if you can shut it down from there, it should be possible to delete the file. And the moral of the story is… ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/7 "2002-08-01T01:15:39Z")
I was planning on mentioning that, too… File types are not hidden, and my first task when starting the computer is quitting all nonessential programs, except Trillian and Norton. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it sitting there, if only for the principle of the thing. ---
**Author:** ![Morningstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Morningstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morningstar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/8 "2002-08-01T02:23:43Z")
I had something simillar, and it had copied itself many times as files named similarly. You might want to try downloading a trial version of Mcafee virus scan, as it solved the problem when it was fully updated (the program should check for the latest ‘virus definitions’). Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/9 "2002-08-01T02:55:44Z")
Download SwatIt - it discovers hundreds of trojans that aren’t detected by traditional virus scans like Mcafee and Norton. [http://www.lockdowncorp.com/bots/downloadswatit.html](http://www.lockdowncorp.com/bots/downloadswatit.html) I also agree with NurseCarmen - get Ad Aware while you’re at it. [http://www.lavasoftusa.com/](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) They are both free 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/10 "2002-08-01T02:58:59Z")
Make sure you’re running a good firewall like Zone Alarm - it will tell you if any sleazy programs are trying to access the Internet without your permission. That might give you a clue what this is, e.g. “HackerBackDoorProgram is trying to access the Internet. Do you wish to allow it?” ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/11 "2002-08-01T04:48:54Z")
It can be a [Windows scrap file](http://www.pc-help.org/security/scrap.htm). Don’t let the name mislead you, a scrap file can be executed, and for most Windows systems the extension is automatically hidden even when you have “hide known extensions” turn off. Insidious bugger, this. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/12 "2002-08-01T21:20:11Z")
I’ve checked. It’s not a scrap file, SwatIt didn’t detect anything. However, the filename is several characters too long for the computer, and I have an inkling that’s what’s been buggering it up… I can’t rename it either. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/13 "2002-08-01T21:43:53Z")
Have you tried to delete it in DOS yet? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/14 "2002-08-01T21:48:14Z")
I thought XP had done away with DOS… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/15 "2002-08-01T21:55:26Z")
> [@](#): > > However, the filename is several characters too long for the computer, and I have an inkling that’s what’s been buggering it up… I can’t rename it either. Try referring to it as brittn~1.jpg . That’s the pattern that Windows uses for long filenames. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/16 "2002-08-02T02:45:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*I thought XP had done away with DOS… \*\* I can’t think of an MS OS where you can’t enter DOS mode. Even in XP you can get there, you just need to type out “command prompt” in the run dialogue, instead of having the shortcut on the program list. ---
**Author:** ![Obvious\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Obvious\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obvious_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/17 "2002-08-02T11:13:22Z")
I dont know if XP has a safe mode… but if it does, go into safe mode and you should be able to delete it like that. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/18 "2002-08-02T11:27:36Z")
**CnoteChris** , starting the computer in DOS mode and opening a DOS window are two _very_ different things. At any rate, you can always start the computer in DOS mode from a floppy. If a filename uses special characters Windows may not find them. This happens to me when I try to read a file off a CD ROM which was recorded from a computer running Windows in Chinese. The other computer can read it fine but my computer cannot read the file even though it displays it as being there. The way I get around this is: Start in DOS. Suppose the name of the file is ERT\*\*\*.AVI where the asterisks represent the problem characters. Go to the folder and do DIR ERT\*.\* or DIR _.AVI or whatever. IF the only file you get is that one then you can do DEL ERT_.\* or DEL \*.AVI or whatever and it _will_ delete it. Wildcards _do_ work. The reason you want to use DIR first is to make sure you are not deleting other files you want to keep. If there are other files then you can rename them temporarily so the wildcards will not affect them. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/19 "2002-08-02T13:53:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > **CnoteChris, starting the computer in DOS mode and opening a DOS window are two _very_ different things. At any rate, you can always start the computer in DOS mode from a floppy.** Maybe I’m misunderstanding this, but I thought my comment was in response to the poster who queried whether it was possible to delete the file in DOS mode. Someone came along and speculated that XP did away with DOS. About all I said is that they hadn’t, it just wasn’t as obvious to get to as it once was. If they’d been talking about _booting_ into DOS mode, which in fact is different than what I was talking about, my answer would have reflected that. Again, maybe I read it wrong, but it seems to me he/she is talking about entering DOS mode from within the OS, which is why my answer was what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754/20 "2002-08-02T14:29:00Z")
The point, **Cnote** is that a DOS window is not a DOS mode. There is is no DOS ‘mode’ in the latest Window versions, XP included. A ‘mode’ suggests an alternative OS to Windows ‘mode’, but a DOS window in these cases is really just a pretend OS. It’s not _really_ being an operating system at all. It’s just another application that happens to look like DOS. So any file operations, like deleting for instance, are still going through Windows’ control. So trying to delete a file using DOS in XP won’t achieve anything you can’t do in XP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarassing-computer-problem/121754.md?page=2)