Vista x64: What is this new folder appearance?

Hey guys, does anybody know what this folder is? It appeared after I installed Vista x64. When I installed x64 on my desktop a while ago I also noticed a similar folder created but I didn't bother since I went back to 32 bit after a short period. I have no idea what this is, but every time I delete it, it comes back after I reboot. The folder is always empty.

 

I don't have a clue to what it is. Maybe it's a virus.

 

Could be a virus. Looks a lot like a disk UUID, too, but I've never seen it happen myself.

 

I think it's a virus. Jb1007 do some virus scans and try and clean up your computer.

 

What do you see when you right click and select Properties?

 

Looks like the temp folders Windows Updates create during installation. Although they should generally disappear after a reboot.

 

I agree it's probably an update file. You can probably see the content if you select show hidden file in the folder option.

 

I don't know if it's a virus, I'm pretty cautious on security. I only notice it on x64 installations. Even after viewing hidden files, I don't see anything in the folder.

 

Then i suggest you do a virus scan even though you don't think your infected.

 

Try first renaming the file. Restart and delete.

It could be a installation or some other folder that gets recognized through a registry key. Thats why it cant be deleted... Once you rename it and restart, its not recognized and subsequently deletable.

 

I used to get folders like that with Windows 2k.. I'll check my Vista HP x64 machine when I get home!

I think as miner said it could be just an update folder. In 2K they were persistent and reappeared after reboots etc.

I'll post a reply after I get home if mine has them too!

 

I was working on a computer for a friend running XP that had the same thing happen with an almost identical style of folder name (she had 3 of them however and they were located on a seperate partition with themselves and her music files she stored there). I was planning to delete that partition anyway as I was combining two partitions together as part of what I was doing for her so they were deleted in that process.

Upon further discussion with her about her case it appears as they were created when she tried to install some software requiring a registry key on the non-boot partition and the installer gave her some errors. I believe they were software patches and not complete installations.

It was a while ago so my memory is a bit foggy about exactly what the software the patches were for, but I know she used I-Tunes and Google Earth a lot so it may have been one of those, or something entirely different like a Microsoft Patch.

 

You can use Process Monitor and use its boot logging feature to see what process creates that directory during start up.

 

That is what it is 99% of the time in my experience. Reboot, delete the folder, reboot again, and run a virus scan to be safe as others have suggested.

 

yup just checked and one of my secondary drives has a similar folder.. (running Vista HP x64)

 

If you already have an antivirus software running it would've detected if it is. I believe it's part of upgrade/installation files It doesn't harm anything so why fool around with it. Might actually make some of your programs stop running.

 

I'd agree with you on that, if your computer works fine with it there then I'd leave it be. If they start taking up a lot of hard drive space then perhaps I'd have a look into it further. The main thing is that you virus/spyware/trojan/malware scan it etc to ensure that it's ok if you do leave it there.

 

Open the folder and see what it contains?

I agree with others it is most likely some rogue Windows Update temporary folder. I don't have anything like that on any of my drives on my Vista 64bit installation I'm running right now.

 

Thanks guys... I got down to the bottom of it. It was part of those performance updates last week. 941600kb.. 5,8mb download, it creates the folder and doesn't delete it. The same update on 32 bit systems doesn't leave the folder behind.