Constant warning messages about Malware in a non-existent file !!!

[vodkasoda]

Hi, I don't think I have a problem on my PC, but I am getting constant messages (like every 2 or 3 minutes) telling me I do have a problem.

Avast (free version) has been running on this PC for over a year, but this is new, the past week at most, I've never had a reason to question it before ...

The message I am getting is :

Avast! On-Access Scanner Message
C:\Users\Gary P Heath\AppData\Local\Temp\hki4658.exe contains sample of 'Win32:Malware-gen'!

However, this file does not exist on my PC, and yes, I am displaying hidden files & folders !!!

Can somebody please explain what is going on here ?!?

[Tarq57]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
Try looking under this path:"C:\Documents and settings\Users\Gary P Heath\AppData\Local\Temp\hki4658.exe" of such a directory exists.
If no luck, try under "Documents and settings\Default user\..." or try a search for that file name "hki4658.exe".

Is it always the same file name detected?

Please post your OS.
You could try cleaning your temp files, using the inbuilt disk cleanup utility, or an application like Ccleaner or ATF cleaner, but although that might delete the file satisfactorily the question will remain: What was this?

[vodkasoda]

Hi, thanks, I am looking in there now, though I have to get access to it first  ... I am using Vista and it thinks it has to protect everything from me  !!!

I did a search of the whole PC for that file name, which is why I said it's not on the machine, admittedly I don't know just how reliable Vista is when doing a search from the start menu, but that's what I normally use ...

OK ... when I said (above) "I am looking in there now", I didn't expect there to be thousands and thousands of files in there as (a) I though that Vista had moved away from using the "Documents & Settings" folder and (b) I keep all of my personal data and settings on the G: drive, only my OS is supposed to be on C: !!!

I'll get back to you when it's finished it's scan  !!!

[Tarq57]

OK, I'm not a native Vista speaker, so hopefully someone else will be along to assist.
I would think that "C:\Users.." is the replacement path for the one/s I suggested searching in.
Even though your personal files and docs might be on a separate drive/partition (nice idea, I do the same) there will still be application data stored on the C drive, which is referenced by the OS.

Running as an admin might make it easier to locate, but once again, I'm not "Vista-y" enough to know, sorry.