I have a Trojan virus that is embedded in 2 temporary internet files. I have tried to delete the files, but I

Question

get a message the file can't be deleted because it is being shared by others. How do I get rid of them. I have used AVG Free so far.

Answer 1

Easy, run your AV while the computer is in safe mode. Don't forget to turn off your system restore first, before going into safe mode. If your AV software still can't get rid of the virus, write down the name of them first and then delete them while in safe mode yourself.

Answer 2

Depending on the virus, going into safe mode might let you get rid of the files in question.

Some don't run in safe mode believe it or not.

If you are comfortable with doing it, and you have access to another computer, you could also pull your harddrive out of your infected computer, and install it as SLAVE to another (non infected) computer, then find and delete the files that way.

Keep in mind, the drive letter of your harddrive, while it's in computer #2 will NOT be C:\>

I also recommend, in addition to AVG, avast

Sometimes avast can get rid of things avg can't, because avast has a function to run before windows completes bootup.

Lastly,

go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ntfs.htm and you can boot your
COMPUTER off a non-infected cdrom. You should be able to drop yourself to "dos" and go to the temporary internet files folder

C:\documents and settings\"your name"\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\

and go into each directory and "del *.*"

I am making assumptions that you are running windows XP on an NTFS file system computer.
If this isn't true, and you are running, say, windows98 on fat, then you just need a clean boot disk.
If you are running XP on FAT this is also true.

NTFS file systems need an "ntfs reader" of some sort.. such as that ntfs for dos.

Answer 3

I do not know how it will work for you. If it is a possibility for you to get into Command Console ( Command Prompt), then you can search for these files and delete them there. This way you are not in Windows where such files may be being used ( this is not really true, because Trojan Files are not Windows Files, it is simply the way that such Trojans work.)

Answer 4

Try to quarantine the file with virus if still you cant delete or clean it... quarantined files or virus will not harm your computer think of it as lock down.. and try to buy a new antivirus program so that every now and then you can upgrade it to protect you to the most recent virus... and try also some spyware protection...