I'm trying to delete some photos that were pre-loaded onto my computer when I got it. You know, photos of flowers and historical buildings, etc. I've been selecting them and clicking delete. But after a while the photo reappears on the list relabelled as "copy of XXXXX" There are now 13 copies of wildflowers in my photo folder. What's going on?

Do you have a disc image or online backup service in-use?

Sometimes backup services employ settings that will replace files that are deleted (or at least not deleted in a certain manner) and photos are often included in those protected settings.

Are you on a network where another computer or external drive might be handing them back to you?

I've stopped updating my Windows machine at XP but if I remember correctly there's a desktop wallpaper setting that also makes copies when you chose an image for your background. Other than than, unless you're using imaging software (like Photoshop or something) they have settings to always make a duplicate. My CS3 does that as well as Adobe Lightroom... copy1file, copy2file, copy3file, etc.

[This message has been edited by Dan Mowry (9/29/2009)]

I'm not using a backup service that I'm aware of. Maybe I'm trying to delete wallpaper images. But if so, I now have several copies of the same photos. Why would I need that?

I can't tell if someone is being a smart alec with this reply or not but there may be something to it:



RE: double copy of file being deleted

Jigar, I have found the answer and is it so simple?........reduce the speed of the mouse..........as simple as that.......why would that have an effect? I discovered that I had the same problem 12 months ago, and accidentally came on the answer yesterday
--
beejays

http://www.vistax64.com/n...leted.html

are you right-mouse-clicking "delete" or are you selecting and then pressing the Delete Key? If so, try it the other way.

It would also help to know whether you are in an Exporer Folder window, or in some app's open dialog, or viewing the folder in some other way.

If you delete the copy, do you get a "copy of copy of ...." appearing?

What is the name of the folder (directory) that contains these photo files?

Any other background info would be helpful.

Thanks for the help guys. I found that if I dragged the files to the recycle bin they didn't copy themselves. What a hassle. I had 18 copies of the state seal of Louisiana! They copied themselves regardles of whether I used the right-click menu, the delete key or the options on the left.

I would scan your computer for virus's and malware asap. There are viruses and what not out there that put macro's on your computer that copy any file you try to delete, so that you can't delete the actual virus etc etc.

One such example is the one you saw in the news that captures login information for bank accounts and then does auto transfers OUT of your accounts when your not around.

I use McAfee and ran a manual scan with nothing coming up.