desktop.ini

[JayCee6828]

I have noticed a lot of desktop.ini files appearing in my directories.

 

Can these be deleted with no bad effects or are they actually useful for some reason.

 

I like to keep a clean machine and hate having files all over the place that I don't know what they do.

[bugsy_]

If i remember rightly open Windows Explorer > click Organize > select Folder and Search Options > Select the View tab > check Hide protected operating system files.

 

This will hide desktop.ini files in the directory.

 

this is normally checked by default.

[JayCee6828]

Thanks bugsy, I know you can do that but I have view set to show hidden files as there are some that I want to be able to see.

 

I really just wanted to know the prpose of these files and if they can be safely deleted.

[Starbuck]

Desktop.ini files are placed in every folder to tell the operating system how to display and customize the viewing of that specific folder.

Trying to delete these files can be frustrating as the Windows operating system may rebuild them.

Also deleting them may cause problems for some folders...

Best left as they are, just hide them.

[JayCee6828]

I understand now but this has caused me many hours of work checking through folders against a listing of my music as I couldn't get the number of files reported by 'properties' to agree with the number of songs listed; by chance I found it was because some of the folders had a desktop.ini file in them whilst others didn't. When I searched for all the desktop.ini folders in the directories I was counting and deleted them then the number in my listing agreed with the number from 'properties'.

 

If I hide the .ini files does properties then show the correct count or does it include hidden files. I guess I can check that out anyway! But how would you suggest approaching such a task ie checking your listing (in a .doc file) has an equal amount of entries as the actual directories?

 

As a supplementary isit possible just to hide particular os files or is it a blanket coverage; as I mmentioned above thee are some hiddden files that I refer to now and again and that is why I have them showing.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi JayCee, I assume this is really a continuation of this original thread.

 

http://extremetechsupport.com/forum/windows-7/11093-my-machine-telling-me-porky-pies.html

 

Probably my fault for not getting back and telling you this is what I later found.

So to qualify everything, leave those .ini files where they are, they are so small to be only a worry if your drive gets absolutely choked up.