I have two strange files in my root folder 1

[jfelis]

Hello,

I have two strange hidden files in my c:\ root folder and I would like to know what they are and if I can delete them.

I have bolded them in the list below,

HIDDEN FILES: Volume Serial Number is 1681-DC44

Directory of C:
2009/11/11 02:03 PM <DIR> $AVG
2016/11/05 07:22 PM <DIR> $Recycle.Bin
2016/10/17 01:40 AM <DIR> Boot
2010/07/01 01:34 PM <DIR> cmdcons
2009/07/14 03:38 PM <JUNCTION> Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
2016/02/01 11:37 AM <DIR> found.000
2016/04/07 09:18 AM <DIR> found.001
2016/11/18 10:44 AM <DIR> ProgramData
2016/04/21 03:56 PM <DIR> Recovery
2016/11/19 12:36 AM <DIR> System Volume Information
2010/10/23 06:11 PM 296 Boot.BAK
2016/04/22 08:07 AM 296 boot.ini
2016/04/22 08:07 AM 296 Boot.ini.saved
2010/11/20 11:10 PM 383,786 bootmgr
2016/04/22 08:08 AM 8,192 BOOTSECT.BAK
2016/04/22 06:09 PM 296,161 EAQJP
2016/10/17 01:39 AM 3,169,013,760 hiberfil.sys
2004/05/28 11:23 AM 0 IO.SYS
2004/05/28 11:23 AM 0 MSDOS.SYS
2008/04/14 10:30 PM 47,564 NTDETECT.COM
2008/04/14 10:30 PM 250,048 ntldr
2016/11/17 10:45 PM 4,226,289,664 pagefile.sys
2016/04/22 06:09 PM 0 tpwi.ld
13 File(s) 7,396,290,063 bytes
10 Dir(s) 217,696,829,440 bytes free

I would appreciate any advice,
Thanks, Jacq.

 

[goombawaho]

You could delete them but I think you'd better find out why they're there first. In other words, do you have malware on your computer that has created the folders.

I'd run ADW Cleaner then reboot as told followed by a full scan of ESET Online Scanner (choose to remove Potentially Unwanted Programs in the options).

If results are clean, you can delete the folders, but I'm pretty suspicious.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[kjv1611]

If all scans come up clear, another thing you can do to test to see what does or does not break by deleting the files is to rename the files: maybe add ".old" to end of file name (after the extension). Then give it a day or even a week, and see if anything complains different than normal. I've seen some files create odd temporary files and forget to delete them. In the end, I was able to safely delete. I wouldn't expect the files to be important to a normal program by any means.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57