Document file explanation

I have been scanning by using Microsoft Essentials, and during a deep scan (which seems to take hours), there was a file called:

C:\documents and settings\bob\!\various named programs

I do not recall seeing the "\!\" before

A few of these files I recognize as programs not longer used and long since deleted; the majority of them, not only do I not know what they are, I did not download most of them and there seemed to be a huge amount (took over two hours to get just thorough the A's, as they are in alphabetical order).

Is this a file I can get at because the programs or files on there are not being used and are not wanted? Can I delete the content?

Appreciate any help.

 

Thanks, Steve, I appreciate the quick answer. I did just that, found a very few programs that I didn't need, but no where near the amount of programs I had seen through the scan. My current documents were all checked, but I still do not see the one with a "!" in the title.

My documents folder is:

C:\documents and settings\bob\my documents\

What was being scanned, along with everything else, was:

C:\documents and settings\bob\!\program names

Sorry to keep asking questions.