cannot delete file off desktop

Is it saying they are in use? If so, log out and log back in or restart and then try dumping them in the trash.

Did you try loging out and back in? If so, check out this article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1526?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Did you find a solution to this problem? I have the same problem on my computer and cannot figure it out. Thanks for any help.

Just figured it out..... they went away after I logged out and back in.

In an open Finder window, click "Application," select"Utilities," choose "Terminal" and double-click the "Terminal" application to launch it.

Solai_4's fix doesn't seem to work. I opened Terminal and typed in his command excatly as he has it. Then I tried to drag/drop the errant files onto the open Terminal Window but they just bounce back and don't delete.

Logging off and then back on, as suggested above Solai's post, does the trick. The only problem is, it shuts down all open applications, almost like restarting your computer. Don't want to have to do that every time one of these crazy non-deletable files gets on my desktop...it only happens in Excel (for me.)

What I want to know is, how does a non-deletable file even appear in the first place. These files start as .csv downloads from Google, using the standard download utility. How is it that once they appear on the desktop, they become undeletable?

I found elsewhere a post suggesting to use "sudo killall finder" on Terminal, which worked like a charm for me. The command restarts the Desktop and so all the Desktop icons disappear once and immediately return in the same positions except for the werid files.