How to Remove Icons From Windows Explorer

There was no uninstall option either in the Programs menu entries or the discs used for installation?

RR

I'm afraid that's water under the bridge now.

Try:

FileASSASSIN - Malwarebytes.org

I had similar problem and it unlocked the offending files so I could delete them.

I am not an IT expert, just an appliance user.

nice app. installed and ran it, but the 2 icons cannot be found by FA.

Was too sleepy last night and too busy this morning to answer, but found in quick googlin' that this is a normal complaint, and answers are out there, just need good search terms.

I'll try to hit this again after a bit.

RR

HI man,

Go to regedit delete all the entries pertaining to it and then reboot the system and check it it will not appear..

done this, too.

maybe there are still several instances in there that do not have the name "Creative" or "Nokia", but is still being used by the system (explorer). where do you think they would be hiding?

Try removing in Safe Mode F8.

hi maveric,

I entered using Safe Mode with DOS. I went into the Program Files folder and forcefully deleted the "Creative" folder. then, I exited and restarted. entering Normal Mode, I ran CCleaner for the registry. I had to use DOS for this because deleting the Creative file in Explorer won't work. system says some .dll files are in use, and won't allow them to be deleted.

the icon for Creative has become an empty, nameless icon. it just wouldn't die!

the Nokia icon is still there, too.

BTW, I've also already deleted all instances of "Creative" in the registry.

a very simple method worked for the nameless, faceless icon. I just clicked on an adjacent icon, moved the highlight to it using the arrow key, pressed "Del" and it's gone!

only the Nokia icon remains.

Hi langyaw,

Congrats in getting rid of one.

Try this to get rid of the other.

Are you able to right click? See below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: How to remove invalid icon from Control Panel?

Removing the invalid icon from Control Panel

Determining the corresponding .CPL file name
To determine the corresponding .CPL file for an invalid or non-functioning Control Panel item, use these steps:

• Click Start, Control Panel
• Right-click the invalid icon and choose Create Shortcut
• Click Yes when you see the following dialog:
  
  
• Windows cannot create a shortcut here.
• Do you want the shortcut to be placed on the desktop instead?

Or try this. Re: How to remove invalid icon from Control Panel?

If the Change Icon button does not show the file name, use the following method:
Click Start, Run and type notepad.exe
From the File menu in Notepad, choose Open...
In the Files of type: drop-down, select All Files
Select the shortcut that was created earlier, and click Open.
Determine the .cpl file name using the Find option in Notepad.

Note - If there are no reference to a .cpl, then the invalid icon is most likely a namespace entry implemented in the registry. In that case, use the following method to manage Control Panel namespace items.

Download ShellObjectEditor and run the program.
Switch to Expert Mode to view all the Namespace objects.
Spot the offending entry (by Location) that you want to remove.
Select the corresponding entry and then Delete or Hide it.

The object would be present under one of the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ ControlPanel \ NameSpace

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ ControlPanel \ NameSpace-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Good luck.

Hi Langyaw,

Have you deleted Temp files and history?

You may want to keep some history but you could go through it and delete all references to Nokia?

Take care

Hi wire,

GA to you Sir for excellent advice and choices of how to remove the icons!

Take care.

hi bwire,

I've tried PCDecrapifier. it's just like what the Control Panel does, and it also cannot remove the "ZEN Creative" app.

As of 04 Nov 09, 5:05pm UAE time, this is the score:

• in Win Explorer, I've already successfully removed the "ZEN Creative" icon/shortcut. what remains is the "Nokia 9500" icon/shortcut. please note that this icon/shortcut cannot be clicked on or right-clicked, as it will crash Explorer.
• in the Control Panel, only the "ZEN Creative" app is remaining. I've already "uninstalled" it. its ghost remains in Explorer.
• I need a solution to uninstall the ZEN Creative app completely, and something else to delete the Nokia icon/shortcut from Explorer. BTW, this icon belongs to "My Bluetooth Places". I've tried looking for ways to delete MBP, but have found nothing, so far.

I've just downloaded "A-Squared-Hijack" and will try that, too.

You've been busy,

I think you may find entering the OEM back-up file to remove the blue tooth completely is the efficient way. If these icons are an element with the OEM installed system you will begin to experience faults, and they are the type which are non-attributable phantom faults...

bwire has the safest answer for my money.

I'd have to be there to do better. My searches have produced nothing more specific.

RR

Hello langyaw,

Can you tell us if you have succeeded in the removal of the unwanted icons?

Take care

Guys, thanks for the effort, but so far, it hasn't gone away yet.

However, I haven't tried bwire's recommended apps because when I read what they do, I don't think they apply to my case. his approach of running services.msc is something new for me, though. I found out it's just the equivalent of running msconfig. but Nokia and ZEN Creative apps are not among the active processes that need to be killed.

what I've done, so far, is do what Guest suggested. I went to the registry, and deleted all instances of Nokia and Creative. they were found in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" and "HKEY_CURRENT_MACHINE". there are exactly 27 instances of "Creative" under "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT", but I'm hesitant to delete them. below is it's screenshot.

you think it's safe to delete them? what are "CDDBControl" entries?

Hello langyaw,

I am not sure what wire advised from memory but he knows what he is talking about!

If I was you I would go no where near the Registry yourself. What you can do is to use a Registry Editor, AKA Reg'/edit. What wire told you may have been a reg'/edit, I do not know.

Right heres how to use one, you know you are looking for particular names, Nokia and creative apps? As long as you do not have any other creative apps, run the editor.

I do not have one now but had one for about five years. They found bugs, viruses and forgotten apps and desktop links I had forgotten long ago.

To start try to tick the boxes of the type of file you want searching. As this is your first scan with reg' edit, tick all the boxes that can apply to email, all the apps you have, and anything you see which you want to check out. In general the first search can take a while, but any subsequent searches are pretty quick.

When the search has finished take care where you click on the little things and choices you can use to change pages and stuff. Read what you are clicking first before you click on it.

You may be given the search results automatically or you may have to click on a button to go to that area. I can't recall that now. But there results area is a list of apps, links and lots of stuff that looks like registry looks. Usually each has a tick box by it. Tick only the ones you are certain you want to remove. As you read the list which could be quite long, things will jump out as the ones you want to delete.

On other entries you may see "dead link" or "Link no longer in use" or similar. Those you can safely delete as well as the ones you wanted to find anyway.

There is often a loud warning if a virus or Trojan are found so turn your volume down so you can just hear it. When and if it warns you there will be some kind of guidance to tell you what to do. You can sometimes delete but that is not a good idea. You want the choice to put them in a chest, or something that will keep those virus' and Trojans away from the rest of your computer. Deleting them will put them back on your HDD for them to continue to damage your machine.

Again, go easy, slowly read and click where you want to delete. My experience is you will need to read every line and tick to delete, but it does not delete until you have checked the whole page, and that could be several hundred items on the first search.

If there is any item you are not sure of, you should not feel compelled to delete it just because it comes back on the result of the search.

I am typing quickly and may have mentions stuff a few types, sorry about that.

If you get no sound warning it means you have no virus or Trojan, or at least not one your version of the Reg' edit knows about!

To start you can just delete what you wanted like the Zen and Nokia stuff, and if you want make a note of anything you want to check out on-line. You will not be giving anything away if you copied and pasted anything you are not sure of into the address slot in your google. It will tell you what it is.

I have to go now will catch any other stuff later.

You could try Revo un-installer, (freeware) that tracks down all associated files during the un-install process although I guess it might get a bit lost because you have already removed some files.

The last time I had trouble removing a programme I had to delete it from 'Program Files' & also track down multiple files under every user-name in Documents and Settings.

thanks, Nigh!

this app was able to uninstall the Creative ZEN app whereas Control Panel could not do it. before this, though, I was already able to remove the Creative ZEN icon from Win Explorer. this one is a *power* uninstaller!

as of 07 Nov 09, only the Nokia 9500 icon/shortcut remains in Win Explorer. I was already able to uninstall that app from Control Panel. it also does not appear in Revo.

Hi Nigh,

Yes, the un-installer will probably not see anything if everything has been removed apart from the link icon.

Just one more point which may be obvious to those whom are computer 'savvy' but which may not be thought of otherwise................

As these various un-installers are used, And it also applies to anti virus and any other 'anti-ware'. You should un-install one lot, before you try to get another lot working properly. If you do not do this you end up with a 'war of the apps' on your computer.

When and if you download and or request a CD of the same program, which I usually did where possible, even though it would be out of date as soon as it was posted to me, it is far easier to load and unload from a CD than have to try and download the stuff. Especially if you cannot get on-line anyway.

run> cdm.exe

cd Program Files

cd Creative\Zen Media Explorer

"regsvr32 /u ShCtWpd.dll" this unloads the Creative Explorer icon from explorer without the hassle of having to go through the registry/download additional programs.

for other programs simply replace ShCtWpd.dll with the corresponding file i.e. for Nokia Explorer - PhoneBrowser.dl

M_Dawg

I've already deleted the Creative and Nokia folders, but the Nokia9500 icon/shortcut still is in Win Explorer. I'm about to give up on this already.