File Name Warning

[limafred]

Every time I boot my computer (WinXP Pro) I get the above warning saying:
"There is a file or folder on your computer called "C:\Program" which could
cause certain applications to not function correctly. Renaming it to
"C:\Program1" would solve the problem. Would you like to rename it now?"
My anti-virus program tells me my computer is not infected, so what could be
the problem? I am very leary to rename that file/folder as it is so close to
"Program Files". This is very strange indeed!
Thank you for any suggestions,
Fred.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Every time I boot my computer (WinXP Pro) I get the above warning saying:
"There is a file or folder on your computer called "C:\Program" which
could
cause certain applications to not function correctly. Renaming it to
"C:\Program1" would solve the problem. Would you like to rename it now?"
My anti-virus program tells me my computer is not infected, so what could
be
the problem? I am very leary to rename that file/folder as it is so close
to
"Program Files". This is very strange indeed!
Thank you for any suggestions,
Fred.

Is it a file? What is its extension?
Is it a folder? What's inside?

 

[limafred]

Sorry.
I did not mention that a search produced nothing, cannot find either a file
or a folder by that name on my HD.
Fred.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Try this:
- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type this command:
md c:\Program {Enter}
- Report what you see on the screen

 

[limafred]

The command gives the following answer:
"c:\Program already exists"
Which is wrong since there is no such file or folder on the Hard
Drive...(Two separarte complete searches)
Fred.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Just because you cannot see this file/folder does not
mean that it does not exist . . . Now do this:
- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type these commands:
cd /d c:\Program{Enter}
attrib {Enter}
and report what you see.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

Just because you cannot see this file/folder does not
mean that it does not exist . . . Now do this:
- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type these commands:
cd /d c:\Program{Enter}
attrib {Enter}
and report what you see.

Also, search the registry to see whether any references to that directory
are included in the registry

 

[limafred]

Response was:
"The directory name is invalid"...
This starts to look like my computer is a "nutcase"!!!
Does this sound to you like there is still a virus or worm or something just
as evil in my PC? NOD32did not find anything neither did an online scan with
TrendMicro or Panda. AdAware and NoAdware did not find anything eother except
for a couple of tracking cookies which were promptly deleted.
Thank you for your help, hope we find a solution!
Fred

 

[limafred]

A search of the registry did not show anything like a file or folder called
"Program"
Also see my reply to Pegasus...
Thanks
Fred.

 

[limafred]

Thanks everyone... Finally found the "offending file" by entering the command
dir c:\progra*.*
It was a 1Kb file without extension (no search ever found it).
Renamed it and everything seems to be OK.
I really appreciate the attention you gave to the problem.
Fred.