WINWAN.EXE virus

  • Thread starter Thread starter jrb
  • Start date Start date
J

jrb

My virus scanner recently found a virus called
WINWAN.EXE. I found a file in on my computer called
WINWAN.EXE-1798005F.pf. To find the folder, you use the
pathway C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch. The virus scanner told me
that the virus was fixed, but I was wondering if this file
is part of the virus or is it an important part of the
Windows XP program. Should I erase this file?
 
You can delete the entire contents of C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch, but I would not delete the
file itself. Or you can safely delete just WINWAN.EXE-1798005F.pf Prefetch will recreate
anything that is needed.

Windows XP monitors the files that are used when the computer starts and
when you start applications. By monitoring these files,
Windows XP can prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that
is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache.
Prefetching boot files and applications decreases the time needed to start
Windows XP and start applications. This information is logged and stored on
your hard drive taking up space and requiring a process to be kept running
monitoring which applications are being run.
Add C:\Windows\Prefetch to the list of directories to empty
periodically. This folder is probably full of prefetch directions for
applications you no longer use. You can safely remove these files;
any files that are needed will be created again automatically. Don't delete
the folder, just the contents.
 
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