Random files appearing on desktop for last couple of years

Thanks for replying!

These odd named empty files do not show up in any download history on my browsers. It wasn't until recently that they started showing up with the .part extension that means that is a partial download, I understand what the .part extension implies and I'm familiar with how to initiate it to continue downloading.

However, before these files didn't have the .part extension with them. This issue has been going on for nearly two years, I've asked people about it and never get an answer of why they are showing up on my desktop.

No, my preferences for my browser is either the downloads folder for safari, is set for me to choose the location of the download in firefox which is what I use most. The files are consistent about two things:
1. They ALWAYS have a different series of letters and numbers
2. They ALWAYS are empty 0KB files that can't be opened.

When I double click on the .part file it just tells me the file cannot be opened and gives me the "choose application" option, it doesn't initiate any continual download process.

I've googled my heart out several times over the last 2 years on this and cannot seem to find an answer or even others with this problem, unless I'm googling the wrong search terms for it.

It doesn't seem to have affected my computers in any way besides cluttering up my desktop with useless files I have to delete, but I worry if it is malicious in any way or passed on to others.

I'd really like to know why they are there and what they are. I've never been able to link creation dates of these empty files with other file downloads so it makes it hard for me to troubleshoot. I've tried to do a search for creation dates to compare to what was downloaded from where on those dates that match up with the empty files but it's never consistent to something that was downloaded from browser or email and the times are never the same as any other file's download times. so it makes it hard to know if they are downloading with other files that are downloaded from emails or web. As far as I can tell by comparing creation dates there is no consistent pattern in where the files are coming from.

I do visit social networking sites on my G5 desktop and G4 laptop, but my G4 tower is mostly used by my kids to play online games on sites like nickjr and pbskids, etc. for preschoolers and young kids.

Would this indeed cause these strange files and if so WHAT are they?

I will definitely try out the add on below to see if I notice a difference! If anybody else knows of a solution out there, please feel free to elaborate on it for me!

I've installed the no script add on but I'm not sure I'm digging it. EVERY website I've visited in the last 10 minutes has "Scripts Currently Forbidden" at the bottom and some don't actually allow me to see the functionality of the site like javascript slideshows and such unless I allow the site. Right now on this forum thread I see "Scripts Currently Forbidden | <Script>:15 | <OBJECT>😮"

And I had to allow both facebook.com and fbcdn.net in order to "like" things on facebook. If I end up having to allow every website or page I go to, really how much is it going to protect me? I'm not for sure what I'm supposed to allow and what I'm not supposed to allow and the extra step to allow it is kind of frustrating.

I simply wish there was an easier way to find out what these files are. I just threw away 30 of the strange files off my desktop but they had been accumulated over 6 months time span.