unexpected directories created

[Guest posted.gigs@gmail.com]

I've been assigned an issue on a customer PC where strange directories

are being created in the user's Documents folder in Vista Home

Premium. The mystery directories are in the form of (a few Chinese

chars)/Microsoft/Office. There are no files, just the top level

directory with the two underneath it. The top directory name has

different Chinese characters in each folder name. Anti-virus doesn't

flag anything. Any ideas? I've never seen anything like this before.

[Guest Daniel Petri]

I'd check to see if the customer didn't download and install any software

lately, especially from P2P sources.

 

--

Sincerely,

 

Daniel Petri

MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer

www.petri.co.il

 

<posted.gigs@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9970d5f6-e508-4202-8fb1-a7bd108576b4@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...<span style="color:blue">

> I've been assigned an issue on a customer PC where strange directories

> are being created in the user's Documents folder in Vista Home

> Premium. The mystery directories are in the form of (a few Chinese

> chars)/Microsoft/Office. There are no files, just the top level

> directory with the two underneath it. The top directory name has

> different Chinese characters in each folder name. Anti-virus doesn't

> flag anything. Any ideas? I've never seen anything like this before. </span>

[Guest GTS]

I strongly suspect a root kit infection. I have seen some very similar

items created by root kits. There are probably files and subdirectories

being hidden under those directories. I would thoroughly check that machine

for malware, but it may be very difficult to clean.

--

 

<posted.gigs@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9970d5f6-e508-4202-8fb1-a7bd108576b4@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...<span style="color:blue">

> I've been assigned an issue on a customer PC where strange directories

> are being created in the user's Documents folder in Vista Home

> Premium. The mystery directories are in the form of (a few Chinese

> chars)/Microsoft/Office. There are no files, just the top level

> directory with the two underneath it. The top directory name has

> different Chinese characters in each folder name. Anti-virus doesn't

> flag anything. Any ideas? I've never seen anything like this before. </span>

[Guest FromTheRafters]

Do a backup if the client hasn't already done so. This could be

almost anything - I wouldn't even rule out a failing harddrive.

 

<posted.gigs@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9970d5f6-e508-4202-8fb1-a7bd108576b4@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...<span style="color:blue">

> I've been assigned an issue on a customer PC where strange directories

> are being created in the user's Documents folder in Vista Home

> Premium. The mystery directories are in the form of (a few Chinese

> chars)/Microsoft/Office. There are no files, just the top level

> directory with the two underneath it. The top directory name has

> different Chinese characters in each folder name. Anti-virus doesn't

> flag anything. Any ideas? I've never seen anything like this before. </span>