Folder dissapears on reboot

[NickB]

Hello,

I have this strange problem with my system:
I create a directory that begins with a number e.g. C:\5A. When I reboot the
PC
the folder suddenly dissapears!
I performed a full search including hidden files and folders in case it has
been moved to another location but without any result.
I also did a full system scan with AVG 8.5 antivirus, Spybot Search &
Destroy, HijackThis for any malicious software running on the system but
everything came up ok. No disk cleaning tools are installed and running
The PC is running Windows XP SP3 and has all the recently updates installed

Has anyone encountered this problem? Is it the name of the directory that is
causing the problem or some setting that needs to be set?

Thanks in advance

 

[R. McCarty]

I've never encountered that type of issue. Is there a reason that the
folders need to reside in the root of Drive C:\ - ? There are limits to
the maximum number of files in a folder, but I doubt you're dealing
with that.

I would create a sub-folder to store these number based folders &
see if after a reboot they are persistent.

Side note - SpyBot is still a viable malware scanning tool, but I'd
use Malwarebytes also.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hello,

I have this strange problem with my system:
I create a directory that begins with a number e.g. C:\5A. When I reboot
the
PC
the folder suddenly dissapears!
I performed a full search including hidden files and folders in case it
has
been moved to another location but without any result.
I also did a full system scan with AVG 8.5 antivirus, Spybot Search &
Destroy, HijackThis for any malicious software running on the system but
everything came up ok. No disk cleaning tools are installed and running
The PC is running Windows XP SP3 and has all the recently updates
installed

Has anyone encountered this problem? Is it the name of the directory that
is
causing the problem or some setting that needs to be set?

Thanks in advance

Try this:
1. Boot into Safe Mode.
2. Create the folder c:\5A.
3. Reboot into Safe Mode
If the folder does NOT disappear this time then you have some agent
operating in Normal Mode that is responsible. Post again for instructions
how to identify this agent.

 

[NickB]

The folder needs to be created in the root directory because it is used by
some application.
I will try to create this folder inside another one and see what happens

Thank you very much

 

[NickB]

Thank you very much
I will try that and I'll get back to you with the results

 

[Jose]

Hello,

I have this strange problem with my system:
I create a directory that begins with a number e.g. C:\5A. When I reboot the
PC
the folder suddenly dissapears!
I performed a full search including hidden files and folders in case it has
been moved to another location but without any result.
I also did a full system scan with AVG 8.5 antivirus, Spybot Search &
Destroy, HijackThis for any malicious software running on the system but
everything came up ok. No disk cleaning tools are installed and running
The PC is running Windows XP SP3 and has all the recently updates installed

Has anyone encountered this problem? Is it the name of the directory thatis
causing the problem or some setting that needs to be set?

Thanks in advance

Do you have the Ask Toolbar installed?

I think we are convinced the Ask Toolbar is known to delete the
boot.ini (which would give you another problem).

I know other folders\files that disappear from C:\ when the Ask
Toolbar is installed.

Maybe this is a new situation and is easy to check - uninstall the Ask
Toolbar if you have it

MBAM is a good idea too.

Renaming the folder or putting it a subfolder is a good test, but it
is not a solution - it is a workaround.

 

[NickB]

I tried your suggestion and the folder did not dissaper!
So, I guess it must be some agent as you said it.

Could you please give me some information on how
to identify this agent and resolve the problem?

Thanks

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

OK, here are the next steps:
1. Physically disconnect your machine from the Internet.
2. Run msconfig.exe via the Start/Run facility.
3. Remove all ticks under the Startup tab.
4. Click the Services tab.
5. Tick the box that will hide all Microsoft services.
6. Untick all remaining ticks.
7. Make sure that the problem folder does exist.
8. Reboot the machine normally.
9 Check if the problem folder still exists.
10. Restore the removed ticks under msconfig in batches of 4 and reboot each
time until you find the culprit.
11. Report the result here for the benefit of other users.

Only restore your Internet connection when your virus scanner is active!

 

[NickB]

Problem Solved! I uninstalled the AskToobar and the folder persisted
after rebooting the PC

Thank you all very much for your help

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Problem Solved! I uninstalled the AskToobar and the folder persisted
after rebooting the PC

Thank you all very much for your help

Thanks for the feedback. So it was some non-Windows utility . . .

 

[Jose]

Problem Solved! I uninstalled the AskToobar and the folder persisted
after rebooting the PC

Thank you all very much for your help

Very good - and easy to resolve without trial and error methods.

It is not some non-Windows utility - it was THIS non-Windows utility!

Another symptom to add to my list (I will confirm later). So far the
Ask Toolbar like to delete:

boot.ini
autoexec.bat
config.sys
any folder that starts with "@" in its name in the boot drive "C".

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

QED: Did you intentionally, willingly, and separately install Ask Toolbar?

www.banthecheck.com !!!