skip to main content

Where did these icons come from?

9 years ago

Turned on my desktop computer today and on the desktop there were these strange icons down the left side. It is an HP computer and I do have an HP Envy 120 printer attached which was used the last time I used the computer several days ago. If I try to move or delete them I get a message saying a program or Windows may not work properly if I do. They are as follows:

(2) desktop.ini - hpothb07.dat - hpothbo7.tif - thumbs.db

They is so strange and the icon are rather opaque with gears or plain .... Anyone have any ideas?

(HP desktop running W8.1, 6G ram)

BTW; Whats with all these adds and news feeds coming from in my preview?

Comments (9)

emma
9 years ago
That happens to me sometimes and I don't know what causes it. The things that appear are things from a misc folder I keep on my desktop for things I am working with. The white pages on the side are usually documents that I have put in there. Try opening one of them and see if you recognize it.
anne_ct
9 years ago
Rather than trying to "delete" them...right click on them and "close" the folders. That should remove the cloudy white image without causing any problems to the program.

Anne
Related Discussions
Wow, where did that come from?
Q
Comments (7)
It's possible but it is only a twelve inch tall plant and not very dense. I could see the pepper as soon as I walked over to it to water it. I guess it could have been less than an inch but it's now a good size pepper that stands out right in front. Every plant I have outside changed overnight after the splash of nutes. I had other peppers that were good size and solid green for almost a month but after the nutes they turned half red overnight. I have been loading up on nitrogen but this was the first good application of a balanced feed.
...See More
Where did THAT butterfly come from?
Q
Comments (6)
Lids People! lol I guess it wouldn't be too bad to have a butterfly fluttering around the house but have you seen how many chalcid wasps can crawl out of a chrysalis? I've only had a couple escapees that I can think of. The first one (a few years ago) ended up getting squished so I was very careful after that. A tiger escaped this summer and pupated on the underneath side of my cedar chest but I found it before it emerged thank goodness. I was worried that it would get smushed or that a wasp would hatch out of it instead of a butterfly so I did quite a bit of looking to find it. I like using the clearish 6qt and 16qt size Sterilite containers. The lids aren't airtight like Tupperware which is good because there's more air circulation. I think I got them at Dollar General. I have had a couple first instar cats crawl out from underneath the lid. Ok those would count as escapees too but they didn't go far. And they didn't fly around the house. lol
...See More
Where did these weeds come from?
Q
Comments (10)
Oxalis species are not, per se, poisonous for people, unless one eats mountains of them. O stricta, for example, is a tasty citrus flavoured addition to a salad, and one species, Oxalis tuberosa, is a major vegetable in some parts of the world. O stricta does produce some bulbils in my garden. But, as you say, it does shoot seeds and runs.
...See More
What is this and where did it come from? ladysmith volunteers?
Q
Comments (1)
The squash family is notorious for cross pollinating. Growers of ornamental types usually grow a mix. so, if you save seeds, you will get all kinds of fruits with different characteristics.
...See More
msm84
Original Author
9 years ago
Did some research and figured out where they came from! Somehow I had made a couple of changes to my folder view and I do not remember when. I'll just chalk it up to old age *lol*

Anyway I went back into "Control Panel", "Appearence and personalization", and "Folder options" and hit the "Restore Defaults" and all those mystery folders went away!!

BTW: I do not use Google so lets just say I did my "Research" using Start Page!! Best place to "start" when wanting to find an answer to something.

Hummmm...Still don't know where all these adds are coming from because I have "AddBlock" installed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Start Page
grandms
9 years ago
When I clicked your link for Start Page, it opened and has the notation "enhanced by Google", so it appears you do use Google. :-)
msm84
Original Author
9 years ago
Its only "enhanced" by Google, but not actually Google. A group out of the Netherlands runs StartPage and they seem to be alot less into tracking your every move and selling it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I trust them more then Google for sure.
Elmer J Fudd
9 years ago
"Maybe I'm wrong"

"Wrong" may not be the best way to say it, "needlessly concerned" might be better.

No one is tracking "you" unless your activities in life run afoul of the law. If they do, merely anonymizing your internet searches won't accomplish much.
msm84
Original Author
9 years ago
snidely I really appreciate the fact that this site does not track me like Google does and when you use Google the ads they feed you are related to every search you have made! It has NOTHING to do with my "activities in life running afoul of the law"! Maybe privacy isn't important to you, but it is to me......
Elmer J Fudd
9 years ago
Unless you're using a VPN service, all of your internet activity is visible and immediately available to many through several sources, including your ISP.

What you're doing is simply sidestepping market research and ad placement that would derive from search activity, but probably not that which derives from your website activity. If you think that accomplishes something then by all means be happy.
msm84
Original Author
9 years ago
I'm not here to get into a debate with you about privacy 'snidley', but as I said before; "I trust StartPage" over any of the other search engines! Its plain and simple and not covered with ads and popups and I personally perfer that. Its another reason I run Web of Trust and AdBlock on all of my computers! The rest of the internet I'm very careful about where I go and what links I click.

You might want to check out this link about StartPage too:

Here is a link that might be useful: StartPage Info

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

FUN HOUZZ Double Take: Did That Chair Come From a Ski Lift?

By Becky Harris

Clever homeowners find ways to repurpose chairlift seats indoors and out

ARCHITECTURE Roots of Style: Where Did Your House Get Its Look?

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Explore the role of architectural fashions in current designs through 5 home styles that bridge past and present

ECLECTIC HOMES Houzz Tour: A Toronto Home Comes Back From the Brink

By Mary Jo Bowling

Not even squatters deterred an interior designer from turning an abandoned 4-bedroom into a chic, unique home

DISASTER PREP & RECOVERY Remodeling After Water Damage: Tips From a Homeowner Who Did It

By Judith Taylor Designs

Learn the crucial steps and coping mechanisms that can help when flooding strikes your home

MOST POPULAR Architectural Icon: The World’s First Bauhaus House

By Eva Zimmermann

The Haus am Horn in Weimar is the first architectural example from the famed school, and the only one in the German city where Bauhaus began

GREAT DESIGNERS Design Icons: Rudolph M. Schindler, Evolving Architect-Artist

Breaking ground with collective dwellings and indoor-outdoor living, Schindler had a distinctive style that influenced architects to come

FURNITURE Modern Icons: The Barcelona Chair

By Becky Harris

Classic Tufted Leather Chairs Go From Bauhaus to Your House

LIGHTING Modern Icons: The Random Light

By Becky Harris

MODERN ARCHITECTURE Houzz TV: This Amazing Lake House Made a Couple’s Dream Come True

By Nora Burba Trulsson

Step inside a dream home on Lake Austin, where architecture celebrating gorgeous views has a striking beauty of its own

GREAT DESIGNERS Design Icons: Julia Morgan

Take the family to see this groundbreaking architect's Hearst Castle, or just virtually visit it and 2 more of her projects right here

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Can I stop my modem from gathering and sharing our data?

12

sound missing on Dell

3

Problems with Outlook 2013

0

Upgrading Windows 11 from Home to Pro

2

Any suggestions for a very secure non-web-based email?

3