Can't delete Wallpaper_Engine

[Zelrune]

I uninstalled and removed Wallpaper engine from my library, and ever since I start up my PC I get a popup saying It tried to run it but couldn't find the file. I'm trying to delete the folder, but when I try it says the file is no longer there. I can't even delete it via command prompt and running as an admin.
Can anyone help me make this error go away? I've never regretted buying something so much.
https://i.imgur.com/sSn9BHV.png

[Biohazard]

Do you have any anti-virus application besides Windows Defender that is maybe interfering with your PC? If yes, please check it and configure it to ignore the Steam directory, restore any related files from its quarantine (to unlock your filesystem) and restart the PC.

Wallpaper Engine itself does not have any ability to mess with file permissions or anything related and this looks like an issue with permissions or even the drive itself. It's not something we have seen a single time before though, so I can't make more specific suggestions yet I'm afraid.

[Zelrune]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Do you have any anti-virus application besides Windows Defender that is maybe interfering with your PC? If yes, please check it and configure it to ignore the Steam directory, restore any related files from its quarantine (to unlock your filesystem) and restart the PC.

Wallpaper Engine itself does not have any ability to mess with file permissions or anything related and this looks like an issue with permissions or even the drive itself. It's not something we have seen a single time before though, so I can't make more specific suggestions yet I'm afraid.

Could you link me to something showing how I could manage to do that? I don't know how I would even start setting something up to ignore certain files.

I used to have malwarebytes but removed it years ago?

[Tim]

Do a web search of "YourAntivirusName ignore folder" (obviously "YourAntivirusName" should be the name of your antivirus), you should find various guides on that. In the worst case, you may need to use a free tool like LockHunter to remove the file locks:

https://lockhunter.com/

Keep in mind that this is all very unusual and not something that ordinary users of our app ever experience, this is almost certainly being caused by an antivirus app or a hardware defect / power outage breaking files.

[Zelrune]

Originally posted by Tim:

Do a web search of "YourAntivirusName ignore folder" (obviously "YourAntivirusName" should be the name of your antivirus), you should find various guides on that. In the worst case, you may need to use a free tool like LockHunter to remove the file locks:

https://lockhunter.com/

Keep in mind that this is all very unusual and not something that ordinary users of our app ever experience, this is almost certainly being caused by an antivirus app or a hardware defect / power outage breaking files.

I've added the file to the windows defender exclusion list, thank you- and restarted and updated my PC, but I'm still getting startup errors.

https://i.imgur.com/FBwUcPW.png

Edit: Going to try this lock hunter thing.

[Biohazard]

Originally posted by Zelrune:

I've added the file to the windows defender exclusion list, thank you- and restarted and updated my PC, but I'm still getting startup errors.

https://i.imgur.com/FBwUcPW.png

Have you uninstalled Wallpaper Engine over Steam before any of the files were deleted and accepted the administrator request that Steam might have shown then?

The uninstallation process in Steam would specifically remove the autostart registration, but the fact you are still seeing anything about it means that it wasn't uninstalled. Just that some of the files are deleted, but no proper uninstallation process was performed.

Have you tried closing Wallpaper Engine and then deleting the remaining files that Steam failed to remove? Please close wallpaper32.exe/wallpaperservice32.exe in the task manager or any similar named processes, then try deleting the files and the folder.

[Zelrune]

Originally posted by Biohazard:

Originally posted by Zelrune:

I've added the file to the windows defender exclusion list, thank you- and restarted and updated my PC, but I'm still getting startup errors.

https://i.imgur.com/FBwUcPW.png

Have you uninstalled Wallpaper Engine over Steam before any of the files were deleted and accepted the administrator request that Steam might have shown then?

The uninstallation process in Steam would specifically remove the autostart registration, but the fact you are still seeing anything about it means that it wasn't uninstalled. Just that some of the files are deleted, but no proper uninstallation process was performed.

Have you tried closing Wallpaper Engine and then deleting the remaining files that Steam failed to remove? Please close wallpaper32.exe/wallpaperservice32.exe in the task manager or any similar named processes, then try deleting the files and the folder.

It's gone!
Initially Lock Hunter couldn't delete the file but there was an option to do it at my next restart so I went ahead and clicked that, and I didn't get the errors again!!! The only one I got was a notification that the folder was successfully deleted!

First attempt - https://i.imgur.com/xzQfsWR.png
On restarting - https://i.imgur.com/HTXtwAN.png

Thank you so much!