A problem with having 3 'owner' documents, is it a virus?

[Guest]

I have a problem with my documents and settings folder. In it, where there is
usually the owner document, i now have three.

One named "owner", one named "owner.bryce", and one named
"owner.YOUR-MXVOURM8HA"

i have no idea what is causing this problem? it doesn't seem to be noticably
doing anything to my computer, but still it worries me. Is it a virus? the
files can't be deleted, even if i change their settings. and only one of them
leads to my actual documents. however it is the one called owner.bryce, and
not owner...which it used to be?

when i try and open the other two an error message appears stating that
access is denied? PLEASE HELP ME !

 

[Sharon F]

I have a problem with my documents and settings folder. In it, where there is
usually the owner document, i now have three.

One named "owner", one named "owner.bryce", and one named
"owner.YOUR-MXVOURM8HA"

i have no idea what is causing this problem? it doesn't seem to be noticably
doing anything to my computer, but still it worries me. Is it a virus? the
files can't be deleted, even if i change their settings. and only one of them
leads to my actual documents. however it is the one called owner.bryce, and
not owner...which it used to be?

when i try and open the other two an error message appears stating that
access is denied? PLEASE HELP ME !

Those extra folders get created when Windows is reinstalled. OR when the
system is connected to a domain - there will be one folder for the domain
and one for the local system.

 

[Sharon F]

when i try and open the other two an error message appears stating that
access is denied? PLEASE HELP ME !

PS: This is a clue that most likely Windows has been reinstalled. XP is
still protecting those folder contents for their owner. After a reinstall -
XP sees the "new you" and the "old you" as two separate users. Solution is
to "take ownership" of the files and folders that you cannot access.

Once you have access, move any content that you want to keep into your
current user folders. Delete whatever is no longer wanted.

You can find directions for taking ownership in Windows Help and Support
file. Use Help's search box to search for "take ownership"

To determine your current user folder: Log on as you normally do. Then
click Start> Run and type
%userprofile%
Windows Explorer will open with focus on the folder that it considers as
yours. It will be the one that you *do* have access to before you make any
changes. Might as well run %userprofile% anyhow just to double check.