I've had this on my desktop, its a little dot in the middle of my desktop. I haven't been able to find a way to get rid of it. So I'm turning to you guys. Please help, this thing is driving me nuts...

Screen shot:

 

possibly a dead pixel in the monitor

 

I shoulda mentioned this before... I can highlight the dot, and when I open up another program it covers up the dot.

 

I can see the dot you're referring to. [small square] Try a blank desktop and see if it's still there. If so, I'd say its a bad pixel. If it's not there, then I'd say it has to do with the image itself. Also....that picture looks like Google Earth ??

 

If it was a dead pixel, i dont think it would show on the screen capture, you'd think that the processor has no way of knowing that there's a dead pixel, so it wouldnt record it on the capture.

 

Finally someone computer smart

It's definately not a dead pixel. A dead pixel is much much smaller than that and it wouldn't show up on a screen capture. Did you try messing around with Desktop Earth to see if that's what it is?

 

it most likely is this 'desktop earth'... or some other application running in the background, especially since you can highlight it.. try removing any programs you don't recognize.. clean your comkputer right up and see what happens.

also, as marko said.. it is no way a dead pixel.. so no worries there.

 

i think its a dead pixel.. if its not a dead pixel than its probably a baby virus growing

 

well, I am assuming that your background is just a picture, and not googleearth...
either way, try first disabling active desktop or removing desktop items

I think this is the way....
right-click >>> properties >>> Desktop >>> customize desktop >>> Web and clear or uncheck any active desktop items or anything else checked or unrecognized

 

curious, what kind of computer?

 

its too big to be 1 dead pixel...maybe a developing cancer of dead pixels?

 

Its not Desktop Earth, I just downloaded that this morning and the dot has been there for a couple months. If it is a dead pixel wouldn't it be showing even on the web browser? The strange this is it seems to be over the desktop, not a part of it because when I right click it the menu won't come up. But, everywhere else it does come up.
Its a HP Pavilion.

 

hmm have you tried wjwerdna's idea (post 9)?

 

Yup I did, didn't change anything.

 

Using windows explorer look in C:\Documents & Settings\Administrator\Desktop or C:\Documents & Settings\XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\Desktop (check all that appear? )
Do you see this object listed as anything?
Make sure you can view hidden and system files

not sure at all.... just throwing things out there...
I'm guessing you've tried drawing a box around it?

maybe try resizing screen size??? see if that makes anything happen...

 

My money is on a virus or trojan. There is code out there that will hijack your desktop. While your case isn't that bad, it seems like that's the issue. Either that, or one of your system setting files containing your desktop settings has been corrupted.

Check for the virus thing first, then we'll see about the latter issue.

 

Go to Start -> Run
Type: msconfig
Go to the BOOT.INI tab
Check "/SAFEBOOT" and "MINIMAL" under Boot Options
Reboot your computer and login as administrator.
See if the dot is still there, report to YT .
When your reboot out of safe mode it should go back to regular, if not:
"Installation is reverse of removal"

 

second that

 

Yeup... An app has definitely drawn the box there.

Head here, and grab this utility:
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilitie...sExplorer.html

Minimize everything on the desktop. Fire up ProcessExplorer, and note the "gunsight" icon next to the binoculars. Click and DRAG that icon over the top of the white box on your desktop. It should highlight it. Let go of the mouse button and ProcExp should pop back as the front window.

The line that's highlighted in ProcExp is the process that owns the window.

Posting that info here should be fairly entertaining.

 

you have a desktop pattern, which is set for CENTER instead of tile...

from the looks of it.