can't delete profile

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kaden
  • Start date Start date
K

Kaden

Virus scan is halting on a protect folder file and I have tried to delete the
folder as well as create a new profile and remove the old one. The file is
located in \<user>\application data\microsoft\protect. I've logged in as a
different user, tried to attrib -r -h -s the protect folder, etc... to no
avail. No virus scans can proceed beyond this file (which is s-1-5-21-...)
and deleting the folder is impossible. I also cannot browse to the folder or
explorer halts. This is after various virus' were removed from the system.
How can I delete this folder? Or is there a better solution to this problem
besides deleting it so that I can, once again, use a virus scanner to
completion and remove the profile?
 
If you enter Safe Mode, you can usually delete files and folders that cannot
otherwise be deleted in normal mode. Are you sure that you should be
deleting this though?

Best wishes,

Jim
 
Yeah, I researched heavily before messing around with this folder. And I did
try Safe Mode too, with the same results. Command line was able to rename the
folder, but trying to attrib the folder and it balks. The folder contains a
massive number of files (created by the zlob virus) and is over 8 GB in size.
I have manually killed the virus in all other areas, including the removal of
the s-1-5-21... in all other profile /protect and /rsa folders.

The problem is that I cannot destroy the folder now that it is either so
huge or because the virus somehow made it unfeasible. Various virus scanners
balk at the folder and will not continue.
 
Just as a PS... From memory, in Safe Mode, it's also possible to take
possession of a file / folder if you right click it and choose properties.
Another tab appears at the top that is not there in Normal mode.

Jim
 
Did take ownership of the folder, and I don't have permission issues (though
I did originally, so good thought). The problem is that explorer, virus, and
anything else that hits this folder (even trying to browse to it or cd to it
in DOS) ends up halting because the stupid file size is enormous and seems to
be randomly generating more every time I try to delete it. Using CCleaner to
delete and it can't even analyze the whole thing.

If anyone has any information on how to lock the stupid folder down (I've
renamed it) or destroy it with extreme prejudice, I'd love to have help.
 
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