Can't delete desktop icons

I'm running Vista.  I loaded a program and then deleted it.  It left two desktop icons.  These two can not be deleted in any of the traditional ways.  When I try to click on them, it says the link is missing.  When I try to drag to recylce bin, it shows a red x.  When I try to right click, does not give the option to delete.  I rebooted in safe mood but that didn't help to get rid of the icons.  I tried to reload the program and then delete but that didn't work either.  Any suggestions??

Good info, but I also have one and tried to find mine in the registry -and it is not there- even using a search/find in any form. I cannot even locate it in the command prompt directory of my desktop -or anywhere else except as an icon on the desktop. It does not even have a file extension, and the system cannot recognize it to delete it. I have tried doing so from the command prompt as well as from the regedit and the system just doesn't seem to "see" it, but it still shows an icon on the desktop anyway. It is a generic Explorer desktop icon and is named CANID0X3 from a manual of a Porter-Cable tool that I own. When I deleted the file this was left behind and was somehow placed on my desktop and it has been there ever since despite my best efforts. I even tried re-installing the manual and deleting it again, but the system doesn't see the file to correct it.
Any suggestions? Doing a re-install of Windows is a little drastic to cure this otherwise benign problem. It just bugs the heck out of me that I can't get rid of the dumb thing!
Any suggestions, insights, or considerations would be very much appreciated. Thx.

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