unable to delete icon from desktop

I need some help with deleting an icon from my vista home premium desktop. Get "could not find this item...no longer in this location, verify location and try again". file size is 0 bytes. Already tried the usual delete procedures. Thanks

First reboot

if it does not work try this

learned this just recently and tested on my computer, it does work

This should work
Click on Start at the lower left
Type the word regedit in the search box and hit enter
Right click HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and click Find
Type dontrefresh in the search box and then hit enter
You will see DontRefresh, right click it to change the settings, set it to 0
Boot your computer. It should be set properly.
Be sure to make a system restore point first, to restore registry if necessary.

I have suggested this to other posters and got the response that they cannot get through the process, not true, works for me.

Try in an elevated command prompt if necessary
Elevated Command Prompt

Changing the registry can cause problems, if not done correctly. Back up and make a system restore point before trying

Try using one of the following free products to delete the file. Unlocker at: http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Unlocker.shtml or File Assassin http://www.malwarebytes.org/fileassassin.php. These programs often work when normal Vista delete functions fail to operate properly.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

What kind of icon it is? Is it some software or game icon?

I think you should use some registry cleaner..

I strongly recommend against a registry cleaner of any type - or a registry booster, registry enhancer, registry fixer, registry optimizer, or whatever such a product calls itself. They very rarely do anything of real value, can cause great harm to the system and the registry, are sometimes conduits for transmitting malware (in effect, not really what they say they are), report thousands of errors that they can repair if only you will download and/or purchase the product (errors that are almost certainly grossly overstated), and are simply not worth the risk. Yes, there are cases where using certain registry cleaners has not caused a problem and there are cases where doing so has even helped solve a problem (I've seen it happen and am always glad to hear it worked but also quite surprised and thankful it did no harm - at least none they've yet detected as it may have affected something they aren't using at the moment), but finding that product is very difficult among the hundreds available (and I know of none I trust - the same ones I saw work I also saw cause problems for others) and the chance of actually benefitting from such a product is outweighed by the risk of using such a product. Vista does an excellent job in managing and keeping the registry clean on its own and doesn't require any assistance. I'm not even certain the registry is involved in the problem in the first place - though I suppose it is possible. If you decide to try this anyway despite this warning, at least first create a system restore point AND backup the registry before you install or use the product (and before every time you use the product), run a full malware scan on the program before installing it and then run a full malware scan of your entire system after installing and running it - preferably with a number of different products including Malwarebytes.

If the suggestions from myself and Richard above don't work (please try all three), please post back with the results from the attempts (I mean what exactly happened when you tried and did you get any error messages or that you had trouble with the procedure and what the trouble was exactly - not just that they didn't work). Perhaps a small change in what you're doing will get the procedure or program to succeed.

If none of them work, as gamex1 asked, it would then also help to know what type of icon we're talking about. Is it a shortcut or a file (and if a file, what filetype) or a folder? What program created the icon in the first place? Has that program since been uninstalled or deleted? When did this happen - I mean, when did you first notice the icon shouldn't be there and discover you couldn't delete it and that it had 0 bytes? Is this the only icon having this problem?

I hope this helps (and I hope you accept my suggestion about registry cleaners). We'll be here if the problem remains and if you reply with answers to the above questions, we will do our best to assist you in removing this icon using some other options - depending on your answers.

Good luck.