mysterious folder

Hey it worked Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That pesky lil thing is history.

 

I love it when we beat the gremlin. I was starting to sweat, like twenty questions and we were on #19. Good show!

Thanks for the feedback and good luck.

 

Guess what! It's back! I give up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That sure was a short lived victory.

Well, at least we can learn something from the momentary setback. It is now obvious that the mysterious folder is not something you created with some inadvertant act.

Now you can consider the other possibilities. There are at least three. #1, You have a corrupt XP system file; #2, you have a corrupt user added software file; #3, you have a virus.

I recommend eliminating the possibility of a viral infection first. If you have an Anti Virus program, get the latest signatures for it and scan your complete drive. If you don't have same, go to Housecall and use the free online scan that is offered there.

If you get a clean bill of health, then the next easiest thing in line for elimination would be your user added software. Go to START > RUN > and type msconfig.exe <enter> When the System Configuration Utility appears, select the Diagnostic Start Up - load basic devices and services only box. Then click ok to close the utility screen. Now you'll have to rid yourself of the gremlin the same way you did before in order to see if it will remain defeated while operating in this mode. Then you will need to reboot for the changes to take effect. If it does say clean, you can be pretty sure you have some software starting up at boot time that is corrupt. You can find out which one by setting the configuration back to normal boot and then clicking the Start Up tab and running some tests on the entries there using the process of elimination. Don't forget to reset the configuration back to normal after you finish all testing.

If it returns regardless of what you do above, then it's possible you have some corrupt system file and will need to use the System File Check utility (START > RUN > type SFC /scannow <enter>) to isolate and repair it.

There is also the possibility that the program causing the problem isn't starting at boot but instead you are opening it manually. that could include the browser of course.

Use your powers of observation and try to relate the reappearance of the mystery folder to some task or software loading. Anything you find out will help narrow it down.

As you have noted before, it's apparently benign so you may just have to live with it.

Good luck in your quest.