What is the Windows Desktop.ini and how can I delete it?

Because it appears on their computer suddenly, some people mistakenly believe that the Desktop.ini is malware or a virus. This is not the case. However, if you are curious about what Windows’ Desktop.ini is, here’s the answer.  

This article will explain what Desktop.ini is and how to use it. It also discusses whether or not it can be deleted.

What is the Desktop.ini file?

Desktop.ini can be used to create a desktop hidden configuration file It can be found in any folder of Microsoft Windows (including Vista or Windows 10/11). Every Desktop.ini file has the configuration settings specific to that particular folder.

Because it is a protected file in the operating system, Desktop.ini cannot be seen by default. It may suddenly appear on your computer because you, or someone else has changed the folder settings so that hidden folders are displayed.

Files called Desktop.ini are created whenever a particular change is made to a directory, such as giving it specific icons or setting up sharing options.

What is the best way to see my Desktop.ini file?

The Desktop.ini files can be hidden or protected so that the average user won’t see them. You can make these files visible by placing them in your directory:   

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select the View tab.  

3. Select Options. 

4. Select the View tab.  

5. Scroll down for more information Show hidden files, folders, and drives. 
6. Continue scrolling down and click on Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended). Yes To accept the warning message.

You should find the Desktop.ini file in every folder that has been modified or rearranged.  

What can I do to delete the Desktop.ini file?

Simply deleting the Desktop.ini files will restore an existing folder back to its default settings. You can also delete the Desktop.ini files. If you wish to preserve the settings of a folder, however, you can conceal the Desktop.ini files by following the directions in the preceding section.

How to customize a folder with the Desktop.ini file

The Desktop.ini file can be used to modify a Windows folder. To begin, first you must: The folder can be hidden Label it with the important system folder designation so Windows can grant it the read-only attribute required to enable special behavior.

To do so:

1. You can open or create the folder that you wish to personalize.
2. Click on the Start Menu and type Command Prompt Select it.

3. Use Command Prompt to type attrib +s “FolderName”. . Take, for example: attrib +s “C:\Test\TestFolder” Click here to hit Enter.

The next step is to edit and create the Desktop.ini files. You will need to first create a text document in the folder that you wish to modify.

1. Make sure you have the following at the top of your folder window: File name extensions Are turned on.

2. Select the folder you wish to open by right-clicking New >> Text Document.

3. Name it Desktop.ini Use the press Enter. Yes.

4. Click the right mouse button to select the file that you just created Properties. Attributes, tick Hidden and Read-only.

5. Press OK.
6. Double-click on the file to open in Notepad. Click File >> Save As.

7. Unicode is required to save the file in Unicode to allow certain formatting/phrases to be found. The bottom of this window contains the following: Encoding, UTF-8 is selected.

Now, you can populate the Desktop.ini file with configuration settings. These settings can be used to personalize your folder:

• [.ShellClassInfo]: This will allow you to modify the folder’s appearance with the following entries.
• ConfirmFileOp: This setting of “0” will prevent you from receiving a warning message when you delete or move the folder.
• NoSharing: Set this value to “1”, meaning that the folder is not shareable.
• IconFile: This is used to indicate a custom folder icon Or thumbnail image. You must specify the path to the icon in order to use the entry. Although.ico is the preferred format, it can also accept files in.bmp or.dll formats.
• IconResource: This is similar to IconFile and can be used to set the path to the icon. This is used to select the icon manually from folder’s properties instead of IconFile.
• IconIndex: This entry must also be available in order to specify an icon that you want. You can change the icon to 0, if your folder only contains one icon.
• InfoTip: This entry will add an informative text string to your folder, so when you hover over it, a box with text appears.

This is an example: Here’s a test directory I made using a customized icon and InfoTip:

This is the Desktop.ini file that was used to customise it:  

This is it, Folks!

You now know the contents of Desktop.ini and can how to use it for custom folder options. Although it may not be very useful, knowing that the mysterious folder hidden from your antivirus isn’t malicious is always a good thing.