Multiple Programs – SYSTEM.EXE, SYSTEM.LOG, SYSTEM.DAT, SYSTEM.DAO

SYSTEM.EXE may have gotten on your system by way of a virus, trajan or worm. One example is W32.Chilli. More info can be found at http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.chili.html.

It also crops up with Backdoor.Dani, Backdoor.Redcod, W32.HLLW.Relmony, trojan.mullbot, Backdoor.Fulamer.25, Bloodhound, W32.SysId.Worm, Backdoor.Sequel, W32.Vivael@mm, VBS.slip@mm, Backdoor.IRC.Ratsou, PWSteal.ABCHlp, W32.HLLW.Cydog@mm.

For help cleaning up any of these, please go to http://www.symantec.com/search/ then search for the names listed above.

We can't guarentee that every file called system.exe exists as part of a virus. But we'd recommend running you up to date antivirus program just in case.

Possible Virus

Multiple Programs – SYSTEM.LOG, SYSTEM.TMP.LOG

If you run WinPatrol 10.0 or later, you'll notice the following files listed in your Hidden Files: default.log, sam.log, security.log, system.log, system.tmp.log, tempkey.log, and userdiff.log. These files are part of your Windows Registry and are often referred to as registry hive files.

A registry hive is a group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files containing backups of its data. The supporting files for all hives except HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the Systemroot\System32\Config folder on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003; the supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the Systemroot\Profiles\Username folder. The file name extensions of the files in these folders, and, sometimes, a lack of an extension, indicate the type of data they contain. More information can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986.

These files are both safe and required. They are opened and written to each time Windows boots. If you try to use the [View Using Notepad] button under Hidden files, you'll get a warning that the files are in use. That's normal.

Safe

Microsoft



Multiple Programs – SYSTEM.DAT

If you run WinPatrol 10.0 or later, you may find system.dat listed in your Hidden Files. System.dat is the file that contains the hardware and computer specific information in your Windows registry. This file is generally backed up as system.dao. This file is safe and should be left alone.

Safe

Microsoft