Can files be deleted from the Search window?

I've never seen a thread dealing with this matter. It's such a basic thing, I thought I'd ask.

The question arose because I occasionally have trouble with the Windows Magnifier suddenly opening up. Bumping my mouse in just the wrong way seems to be the trigger. I first had this problem in July of 2007 and opened a thread about it, and the only workable solution was to reboot, obviously an inconvenience. A few months ago I deleted 2 magnifier.exe files, thinking that would eliminate the problem once and for all, but it didn't. Today I did a Search and found 8 magnify.exe files listed. Rather than go to each of the locations and deleting the files 1 by 1, can I just highlight them in the search window and delete them all from there? It seems such a convenient method, I'm afraid it's too good to be true.

 

Steve:

No, it's a MS Wireless IntelliMouse, with 2 buttons and a scroll wheel.

Of the 8 magnify.exe files listed in Search, 6 are within Windows. But 1 is in Program Files and another is in RECYCLER. If as you say the files will return even after I've deleted them, I may be trapped but I think I'll try it just to see what happens. The trouble is, I sometimes go a month or more without the Magnifier popping up, so whether the experiment succeeds or not may take a long time to find out.

Thanks for replyng.

 

LATER:
When I highlighted the 8 files and clicked on Delete, this message opened up:


The file 'magnify.exe' is a system file.

If you remove it, your computer or one of your programs may no longer work correctly. Are you sure you want to move it to the Recycle Bin?


Not wanting to risk my entire system, I canceled out. Since the Magnifier gets in my way so infrequently, I think I'll just live with the minor annoyance. It's interesting to learn that files can be deleted from the Search window, though.

 

Christer:

Mine is the same version as yours.

In addition to the 2 locations you mention, in my system the file is also in

C:\RECYCLER
C:\Windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$
C:\Windows\$NtUninstallQ810565$
C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\...
C:\Program Files\Windows Update\WUTool\...

 

Hi BOBBO,

A flash from your past:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/windows-xp/65784-transparent-magnifier-just-popped-up.html

When you bring up taskmanager> "processes tab" do you have either magnify.exe or utilman.exe running?
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/accessibility/umwhenumstarts.mspx

If running, perhaps an "end task" on these will help in the short term but if you or someone, using your computer, has been exploring or using accessibilty features, specifically the "ultility manager" to set these items to run for all users or on logon, a tweak or a total disable may help to stop this nuisance on a more permanent basis.

 

goddez1: Your idea of checking Task Manager is a good one, in fact it's so good that I thought of it myself the last time the Magnifier popped up and I looked over the listing. I didn't see magnify.exe, but I didn't know about utilman.exe then. Whether it was there or not I don't know. If I remember, I will look for that the next time.

After reading your post I opened Utility Manager but everything is the way it should be, so nothing to fix or tweak there. It does seem that opening it might be a way to shut Magnifier off when it pops up. I'll try to remember that.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

Hi again,

Thinking out loud.......

Since you only seem to bothered by this every once in a great while that makes it rather difficult to pin down. I've seen references to related to 3rd party zoomers or magnifiers that hook into or use windows magnify.exe. One example that frequently came up was "1clickzoom" but I would think that you'd be aware of, and have checked for that possibility already. If you had installed or experimented with any thing in this area you would have recognized something already via add/remove programs, startups or taskmanager running processes tab.

There was also older references to various trojans and virus' that would use magnify.exe via an overwrite but in this case magnifier would not work but would open and run something else. That's not the case.

There's references to vista having a bug with this that causes magnifier to start or run by itself by this is not an issue with xp, so that wouldn't be it....

There's mention of multiple buttoned mice that have software that allows the mapping of a button to run magnifiy.exe but you've stated you only have standard two button scroll wheel so that can't be it......

To sum up...I dunno????
Since this does not seem to issue that your plaqued with often I would just keep doing as you are now. When it happens use taskmanager and make note of what is running. Check taskmanger periodically to see if magnify or utilmon.exe (or something similar or new is running in background) .

Keep in mind that if your still using the shutdown or reboot method to end this:
this kb article, while not specific to xp:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/227745

States that if the Magnify Accessibility tool is running when you shut down Windows, the Magnify.exe program name is added to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Runonce

Perhaps something along those lines may be a problem.

--------------
As a sidenote are you running or using any accessibility features?

I think you've stated that when this happened magnify.exe was not found in taskmanager. Could this be something other than a magnifier such as a screen grabber or snapshot program that looks much like a zoomer? Again before closing it in any other fashion use taskmanager to see what is running and if you can recognize the root applications executable in this way.

 

goddez1: I opened RegEdit and drilled down the path you suggested to ...\Windows\ and opened it but there was no Runonce there. I take it that's good?

Apparently I need to wait until the next time Magnifier pops open to see if there's anything else I can do. I'm willing to wait; I'm in no hurry.

Just out of curiosity, though, I would like to learn why bumping my mouse a certain way triggers the Magnifier's popping up. I've never programmed it in any special way. And I don't want to go back to using a corded mouse. That would be a constant nuisance, whereas this Magnifier thing is, as you say, very infrequent. I suppose if I were super-curious I could bang the mouse around in different ways to see if there's any special kind of bump that's the key. But right now I'm not that curious.

 

In short "I don't know ". I've seen and read a zillion problems related to mouse and keyboard issues, particularly wireless and or usb issues. Perhaps the fact that you've stated you have not used any software to control or set the preferences and behaviors of such may be problematic. An update or patch for drivers may needed. Or it's just plain buggy or "compatibility" fussy to begin with.

A good place to begin is the support site, (or lacking that a, google search, both web and group) , for your particular brand/make/model, for both mouse and keyboard. Look for issues, or software manuals that explain what settings this may offer, control or effect.

Or as said, just wait and see what can be discovered via taskmanager next time this happens. It's a small infrequent nuisance and more of a curiosity, at this point.

Sorry......