If you are positive that is the offending file use Windows Explorer. Right click Start click Explore. Scroll down the left side and click the plus sign beside Windows. Now scroll down and click on the System32 folder. Your unwanted file should now show in the right pane on your screen. Personally I would rename at first rather than remove it. Just change the DLL to DDD so it cannot run or be recognised by the computer. Then later once you are convinced everything is normal you can return and remove the file.

So, they are showing up in your recently used worksheet list? Here is an excerpt from Excel help: Display or hide recently used workbooks on the File menu For easy access to workbooks that you frequently work on, you can display up to nine recently used workbooks on the File menu. You can also hide them or clear their history. On the Tools menu, click Options. On the General tab, do one of the following: To display a list of recently used workbooks, select the Recently used file list check box, and then select the number of entries you want. To hide or clear the history of recently used workbooks, clear the Recently used file list check box. The list of recently used workbooks is cleared, and no history of your workbook usage is kept. To start a new history of recently used workbooks, click OK, and then repeat the previous steps to start displaying recently used workbooks again. Note Only workbooks that you open and save after you select the check box are listed on the File menu. You must also restart Excel to see them listed. HTH, the other Pam

I followed your suggestion on a file saved to my system and the file did not have the "read only" box checked, but when I open it ... it defaults to "file viewer" mode. When I try the same action on a file sent to me, selection of properties does not show the check boxes for read only, etc.

Recover Lost Files with Recuva Recuva File Recovery you tube both of those explain step by step how it works and where to see your files in a list to choose if you want to recover or not and then gives you the choice of where to put the file once it is recovered. this one has extremely easy to see and understand with pictures instructions Recovering Files using Recuva