The Mystery of the reappearing file!

[TraceyHand]

It's not a backup..it's just a very old .acd file.
It's definitely not reappearing each time I shut down or I'd get it back more often.
Today is its first showing since I deleted it on the 9th.
The file size, on its last reappearance, is only 300bytes so it isn't even a real snapshot..just an empty 'shell', I suppose.

I've been racking my brains trying to think what, specifically, I might have been doing/using at 12.13 this afternoon to see if I can work out what has put it back there but I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.

I need to spot it within minutes of its reappearance but, short of becoming ridiculously obsessive, that's unlikely!

Fingers crossed that shredding it fixes it (for some reason, I'm feeling pessimistic!) and that I don't end up with a hundred 3byte files instead (thanks for giving me that fear, Duncan )
It's

[Mark H]

Have you at some point in the past deleted or uninstalled the version of Actinic that would have created that file? Apparently left over bits of program software can cause similar problems.

[TraceyHand]

I've no doubt that it's been uninstalled plenty of times!
Being an early V8 snapshot, I've upgraded, uninstalled and reinstalled numerous times since.
The odd thing is, this is just a second snapshot from a particular day...with no problems with the first one or subsequent ones, I guess.

If it reappears again, I'll pick it apart and see what's inside..or something
LOL

[jont]

Another trick I have done in the past with a recurring file back on windows 3.11 is to delete the file then create a small text file in notepad and rename to match the existing.. leave it in place for a few reboots and then delete it

[Cheapprices4u]

tracey drop in to safe mode and try to delete then
then you know its not being controled by anything or any one programme as safe mode loads up bugger all
its normally the best way to get rid of viruses aswell then there not attatched to any programmes

[TraceyHand]

right...a couple of days ago (not sure exactly when, desktop is very full and it went unnoticed for I don't know how long) the file reappeared.
Didn't check at the time but the 'last modified' date on the file today is 19th May, 15.30 implying that SOMETHING is modifying it even AFTER its reappearance.

So, now I'm reduced to maniacally checking it, every time I do something, to see if I can find out what is affecting it.
It's only a snapshot, fgs! (or, used to be!)

[george]

Reinstall Windows.

End of thread.

hth

[TraceyHand]

Reinstall Windows.

End of thread.

hth

sod that

I'm just going to find it a pretty icon (nice pink flower or something) and give it pride of place instead!

[jont]

I'm just going to find it a pretty icon

I told you that fluffy cat icons would be the future! You should have jumped on the band-wagon sooner

[TraceyHand]

I told you that fluffy cat icons would be the future! You should have jumped on the band-wagon sooner

well, definitely NOT going to be a cat (or I could be tempted to hurl the laptop in the same direction as Chris Ashdown's!) but pink and fluffy? yeh....p'raps!

I stand corrected (partially...being a woman, I'm not going to entirely give in )

[guccij]

Would Move on Boot software help get rid of it?

More info at Gibinsoft

[TraceyHand]

interesting...further investigation show that the file was 'created' on 16th May 12.25pm and 'modified' on 19th May 15.30pm.
I wonder if my virus scans/registry checkers are finding and reinstating it? But, then again, you'd think it'd happen every day rather than after 3 or so days as sometimes happens


oh well, I'm off to find a pretty desktop icon for my .acd files... Maybe a big pink smiley face or something

[pinbrook]

sod that

I'm just going to find it a pretty icon (nice pink flower or something) and give it pride of place instead!

in all seriousness, when did you last install windows? I tend to schedule a complete rebuild every 18 months or so.

Its an easy task nowadays with big external/network drives, just hive all your data, copy stuff like favourites, email data, ftp logins, DW site data and bob's your uncle. i even put all software on NAS too so i've got all the exes to hand too.

Total time - a few hours to get the esentials, the rest gets added back bit by bit.

[TraceyHand]

Well, the laptop is only 11 months old so I haven't needed to reinstall Windows yet.
That said, I am looking into getting a new one shortly (I'm in indecisive 'which make, which OS' mode!) so I guess a good clean out will do it good anyway.