Corrupt video file making Windows Explorer constantly restart on Vista

I'm running windows vista home premium 32 bit. In the past I've downloaded a music video to my computer and realized that every time I was in the same folder as that file windows explorer would restart and close the folder window. Luckily there wasn't anything else in the folder so I was able to delete the folder without touching the file.

Well today I downloaded a file I thought was fine, but it was another one of those files. The problem is I saved it to my desktop so now every time I log in it just constantly restarts windows explorer over and over again until I have to Ctrl+alt+delete and log out. I tried very quickly right clicking the file on the desktop and deleting it, but the windows explorer restart is faster. I know once I get it into the recycle bin I can open that up and click the empty button without clicking the file directly (which I've done in the past with that other corrupt video). I just can't get it into the recycle bin.

What I tried just now is I logged on to my other account in the computer and using search am able to see the file in the desktop folder. I noticed that if I don't have the view on "details" or "list" when I enter that folder, windows will automatically restart again. So I put it on "details" and I can now see the corrupt file in the folder, but...IT DOESN'T MATTER because the second I touch the file even from my other user account it automatically restarts windows explorer and exits the search I was doing before I can delete it.

Sorry for the rant, but it's getting really annoying. Any ideas on how I can delete this file?

Edit: Tried in Safe Mode and the problem continues.
 
**FIXED**

I eventually remembered deleting from the command window might work and indeed it did. For anyone that has this problem in the future and comes here.

1. Go on another User account that the file isn't on.

2. Click the start windows icon in the bottom left and type in "cmd" in the search bar to bring up the command window.

3. You need to have administrator privileges in "cmd" so what I just did was exited out of the command window I just opened, and right click selected it again from the start bar because it was just opened and should be there in an icon form "command prompt". Right click it and press "run as administrator" and put in the administrator password.

4. In the command window type in this

DEL "C:\Users\Username\Desktop\File.txt"

but replace "Username" with the username of the user account with the problem, replace "desktop" if the file is somewhere other then on the dekstop and replace "file.txt" with whatever the name of the file is. If the file is deeper in a file like in the wallpaper folder that's inside the pictures folder then the code would look like so

DEL "C:\Users\Username\Pictures\Wallpaper\File.txt"

just keep remembering to add a "\" everytime you go deeper in a folder.
 
Ok I found a way to get rid of the file if your explorer keeps restarting;) :mad:more or less it is something you downloaded, I had the same thing happen today and you don't have to destroy your files:confused:
in vista click on start :eek: then in the start search box :'( type in the file that you know is giving you the problem and :p delete it....it will go into the del bin and you have to go into it once ( yes explorer will restart ohhhh how annoying ) once that happens then you can empty it:) no more problems......yea

sorry about all the faces but I had to get you to smile...lol
 
I'm glad that worked for you, but I'll just tell you that didn't work in my case. As I said in my earlier post, when I did click the file to start deleting it, my computer would immediately restart before I could even press the delete button (this included trying to delete it from the start search bar). I didn't even have to click the file for my computer to restart. The second my mouse was over the file (and again I'm talking about viewing it in search from another account the file wasn't even in) my computer would also immediately restart. For my specific problem, doing what I said in the above post was the only thing that worked.
 
I have the same issue except that I don't have another user account to log into any help here how I can get the user account created?
 
Sure you do- - the administrator account - but you need its password.

run->cmd and enter​
runas /user:administrator cmd​

enter the password and you get a second command window

If you have a Windows/Home edition, you may need to use Safe Mode to access this account.

now use DOS commands to CD to the dir with the bad file and type
dir badfilename (just to be sure you know where and what you're about to do)​
hit the UP ARROW key to get that last command line shown again
use the LEFT ARROW to move just after the DIR, use the BACKSPACE to remove it and then type DEL and enter
 
**FIXED**

I eventually remembered deleting from the command window might work and indeed it did. For anyone that has this problem in the future and comes here.

1. Go on another User account that the file isn't on.

2. Click the start windows icon in the bottom left and type in "cmd" in the search bar to bring up the command window.

3. You need to have administrator privileges in "cmd" so what I just did was exited out of the command window I just opened, and right click selected it again from the start bar because it was just opened and should be there in an icon form "command prompt". Right click it and press "run as administrator" and put in the administrator password.

4. In the command window type in this

DEL "C:\Users\Username\Desktop\File.txt"

but replace "Username" with the username of the user account with the problem, replace "desktop" if the file is somewhere other then on the dekstop and replace "file.txt" with whatever the name of the file is. If the file is deeper in a file like in the wallpaper folder that's inside the pictures folder then the code would look like so

DEL "C:\Users\Username\Pictures\Wallpaper\File.txt"

just keep remembering to add a "\" everytime you go deeper in a folder.
I can't believe it but holy cow this fix is still useful for a very frustrated guy in 2015 haha you're a lifesaver man!
 
@Mike1989 and others viewing this (old) post. Have you so little self-control you MUST keep returning to dodgy sites and keep viewing dodgy videos? Just a friendly warning - can't you see that your online behaviour leaves you walking around with a large target painted on your back?
 
Last edited:
Comment:
The problem is I saved it to my desktop so now every time I log in it just constantly restarts
This is why it is bad practice to save files on the desktop - - at least save them in your documents\ folder.

For ease of access, you can always create a shortcut and drag that to the desktop without risk.
 
Back