AVG finds infection in System Volume Information

[KannD86]

AVG free edition found a "Runtime packed upack" infection in C:\System Volume Information\_restore and won't seem to let me get rid of it. Can someone explain to me how to access this folder and delete the bad file?

[tetonbob]

C:\System Volume Information\ is where System Restore's cache is stored. Whatever is in there can't harm you unless you choose to perform a manual restore. The way to address this is to flush out the old restore points, and set a new clean one. One cannot selectively delete items from System Restore's cache without interrupting the chain.

http://bertk.mvps.org/html/tips.html#8

Can I delete individual restore points from the system volume information folder?

No, and here why. Each restore points is chained (or linked) together with previous restore points. When you choose to restore a system all the previous restore point are required to complete the restore, thus if one is missing the chain will be broken and cause all existing restore points become corrupt. At this point all restore points will need to purged to correct the corruption....

Assuming this is XP


Clear & Reset System Restore's Cache

• click Start >> Run - type SYSDM.CPL & press Enter
• select the System Restore Tab
• tick on the checkbox - "Turn off System Restore on all drives"
• click Apply
• then untick the same checkbox & click OK

Should you require more detailed assistance....


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[KannD86]

Thank you so much. It worked perfectly. Now AVG finds no infections and the virus vault empties. Who knew the solution would be so simple. Thanks again.

[tetonbob]

Great! Glad to help.

To help protect your computer in the future I recommend that you follow these steps and look into the following free programs:

• Microsoft Windows Update - http://www.windowsupdate.com
  Visit regularly. This will ensure your computer always has the latest security updates. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.
  
  
• SpywareBlaster to help prevent spyware from installing in the first place.
  • Install & update SpywareBlaster with the latest definitions.
    After you have updated, click the button - enable protection for all unprotected items
• WOT, Web of Trust, warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. Protect your computer against online threats by using WOT as your front-line layer of protection when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites - green to go, yellow for caution and red to stop, helping you avoid the dangerous sites. WOT has an addon available for both Firefox and IE.
  
  
• Winpatrol
  
  Winpatrol is heuristic protection program, meaning it looks for patterns in codes that work like malware. It also takes a snapshot of your system's critical resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without you knowing. You can read more about Winpatrol's features here.
  
  You can get a free copy of Winpatrol or use the Plus version for more features.
  
  You can read Winpatrol's FAQ if you run into problems.
  
  
• MVPS HOST FILE
  The MVPS Hosts file replaces your current HOSTS file with one that will restrict known ad sites from serving you unsolicited advertisements. Basically, this prevents your computer from connecting to those sites by redirecting them to 127.0.0.1 which is the IP of your local computer.
  
• ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
  It is very important that you have anti-virus software running on your machine. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future. It is imperative that you update your antivirus software at least once a week (even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch new malware that may have come out.
  
  Do not install more than one AntiVirus program because they will conflict with each other.
  
  
• Scan here http://secunia.com/software_inspector/ for out of date & vulnerable common applications on your computer
  
  
• http://www.trillian.cc ? Trillian or http://www.miranda-im.com ? Miranda-IM - These are Malware free Instant Messenger programs which allow you to connect to multiple IM services in one program! (AOL, Yahoo, ICQ, IRC, MSN)
  
  
• http://www.aumha.org/downloads/erunt-setup.exe - ERUNT - A useful freeware utility for users of Windows 2000/XP//Vista. It's made up of two parts - ERUNT & NTREGOPT.
  
  ERUNT will create daily complete backups of your computer's Registry. Whilst System Restore does the same thing, a corrupt registry file may prevent Windows from booting & this effectively renders disables System Restore. With ERUNT, you're able to restore the damaged Registry.
  
  NTREGOPT works by recreating each registry hive "from scratch", thus removing any slack space that may be left from previously modified or deleted keys. In other words, it compacts the Registry to a small size which allows Windows to load & perform faster.

In light of your recent troubles, I'm sure you'll like to avoid any future infections. Please take a look at these well written articles

• How did I get infected in the first place?
• PC Safety and Security--What Do I Need?

Surf Safely, and Think Prevention!

Since this issue is resolved, this topic will be archived.