Cannot delete two files

G

Guest

I am running XP home edition, sp2, all undates installed. I have two
corrupt/unredable files: one a 1.9k ".js" file and the other a 39k MP3 file.
"chkdsk /f" does not "see" either file but my spyware does and keeps
scheduling a chkdsk on boot.
I tried to delete the files. Neither PurgIE nor Unlocker could delete
either. I booted up in safe mode and took ownership of the MP3 file, but
still could not delete it. I could not take ownership of the java script
file because the "Security" tab did not appear, even in safe mode. Whenever I
try to delete, the message is always "...the file or directory is corrupted
or unreadable."
Can someone please point me in the right direction?
 
G

Guest

JT said:
I am running XP home edition, sp2, all undates installed. I have two
corrupt/unredable files: one a 1.9k ".js" file and the other a 39k MP3 file.
"chkdsk /f" does not "see" either file but my spyware does and keeps
scheduling a chkdsk on boot.
I tried to delete the files. Neither PurgIE nor Unlocker could delete
either. I booted up in safe mode and took ownership of the MP3 file, but
still could not delete it. I could not take ownership of the java script
file because the "Security" tab did not appear, even in safe mode. Whenever I
try to delete, the message is always "...the file or directory is corrupted
or unreadable."
Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Does this a virus or Malware, hence you said spyware can see or pick up the
files and bad or unwanted Files?.
Try to Kill the runing Processor for these and try to delete them by
Purgeie, also open the msconfig and if there is an entry for the JS (Script)
try to uncheck from start up and try the deletion.
Or what the JS code was for or it is fro a downloadable MP3 which was buggy.
Could you perform System Restore or the restore points are corrupted!.
HTH.
Please let us know your result.
Regards,
nass
 
G

Guest

Thank you, nass.
My McAfee spyware tags the files as corrupt or unreadable; McAfee virus
check doesn't seem to notice either of them, nor does chkdsk.
The MP3 file is a sound file from a four-year-old popular game, Morrowind;
the java script is a log file for an AOL toolbar I don't use and does show up
anywhere in msconfig.
I back up by entire C drive to a second hard drive every month: on the
backup from last month both files are intact, so both files became corrupt
within the last month.
I tried to restore the clean files but XP will not let me overwrite the
corrupt files.
PurgIE was unable to delete either file and Unlocker can neither find a
locking handle nor delete the files.
My fear is this is some sort of malware so I would very much like to get rid
of it.
 
G

Guest

No - I could not even gain control of the .js file (no security tab for it!)
See my first post for the details of my safe mode attempt.
 
G

GTS

Run chkdsk /r This will check the hard drive for bad sectors. If any
are reported, monitor it closely and consider replacing.
 
B

Bill P

JT said:
I am running XP home edition, sp2, all undates installed. I have two
corrupt/unredable files: one a 1.9k ".js" file and the other a 39k MP3
file.
"chkdsk /f" does not "see" either file but my spyware does and keeps
scheduling a chkdsk on boot.
I tried to delete the files. Neither PurgIE nor Unlocker could delete
either. I booted up in safe mode and took ownership of the MP3 file, but
still could not delete it. I could not take ownership of the java script
file because the "Security" tab did not appear, even in safe mode.
Whenever I
try to delete, the message is always "...the file or directory is
corrupted
or unreadable."
Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Download Unlocker and see if that does the trick.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Unlocker.shtml

Regards
Bill
 
G

Guest

JT said:
Thank you, nass.
My McAfee spyware tags the files as corrupt or unreadable; McAfee virus
check doesn't seem to notice either of them, nor does chkdsk.
The MP3 file is a sound file from a four-year-old popular game, Morrowind;
the java script is a log file for an AOL toolbar I don't use and does show up
anywhere in msconfig.
I back up by entire C drive to a second hard drive every month: on the
backup from last month both files are intact, so both files became corrupt
within the last month.
I tried to restore the clean files but XP will not let me overwrite the
corrupt files.
PurgIE was unable to delete either file and Unlocker can neither find a
locking handle nor delete the files.
My fear is this is some sort of malware so I would very much like to get rid
of it.

HI JT,
1 => First try to Uninstall the AOL Toolbar from your system, how to
uninstall the Toolbar read this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884130

//***Sometimes Clean-up Disk can clear the TEMP and the Junk on the HDD so
run it and Reboot then see if you can see/find this files again.***//


2 => Open the Run Command and type in:
msconfig Click [OK] on the System Confog Utility click on the StartUp Tab
and uncheck these file from start up.

3=>Open the Run command and type:
regedit.exe or regedit32.exe click [OK] and on the Registry Editor find
these KEYS

[+] HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

[+] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

Delete the Toolbar if it is there, but please don't delete the ( [+]HKEY )
just look in the Right pane for the Toolbar and delete it.
Please apply one setp (1,2,3) at a time and Reboot then see if the files
still there or not, you may do not need to go through all of these steps.
HTH.
Please let us know your result.
Regards,
nass
 
G

Guest

Thanks all - neither PurgIE nor Unlocker did the trick nor did chkdsk, which
shows no bad sectors and does not even "see" the corrupt files (the long sad
tale is in my first two posts)
 
G

Guest

Hi,

Try using a boot CD and delete.. If not use BartPE i guess it will work
out... I feel this is being used by some spyware stuff so use a tool called
File Monitor from http://www.sysinternals.com and see if that file is open by
any program..

Hope this solves

Regards
Ahmad
Microsoft Student Partner - India
 
G

Guest

Bill and Ahmad, thank you.

I tried a standard delete in Killbox and got a messge saying "the file does
not seem to exist." Delete at reboot produced a more confusing message:
"PendingFileRename Operations Registry Data has been Removed by External
Process!"

I downloaded Filemon as suggested and am running it now to monitor the two
files. Like you, I suspect malware is at work.

Thanks also for the information on BartPE. I had tried deleting from the
boot disk that came with my machine, and from safe mode without any luck -
perhaps BartPE will help, but the Killbox messages suggest the files can't be
"seen."

JT
A befuddled amateur
 
G

Guest

I recently tried Vista RC1 and after removing it some files and directory
remained
in my XP partition.

I used the trial version of NTFS for Linux 5.0 to remove the files and
directory
after burning the ISO

http://www.ntfs-linux.com/

Farouk Dindar
 

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