A mysterious directory "C:\Program" created on boot drive

[Oyeve]

As I was installing and partitioning a new HD last night Windows popped up a message saying something like "Windows noticed a directory called C:\Program" and then it asks me if I want to rename it as this may cause system problems. I canceled out and deleted the directory. I ran a complete virus scan and nothing was found. Now when I reboot, after I login an error message pops up saying windows cant find "C:\Program" I ignore the error and all works ok. I just want to know what the hell this is. Another weird thing is when I went to partition the new HD, I disabled my network and antivirus so copying 300 gigs of data would go faster, I wanted to make a 200gb partion and the reast as another partition, its a 300gb hd (279 formatted) and after I made the first 200gb partion and formatted it, I went to make the next partition and all 279gb showed up as the second partition but I still had 200gb on the first partition. knowing data would be corrupt if I tried copying anything to this drive I completely deleted both partitions and just created one partition. Copied all my data I needed to it and all is fine. Could the new HD have had some weird virus or something that created the C:\program directory?

 

[Markbnj]

Well, one easy thing to do is run msconfig.exe and look at the startup programs and boot time options, and see if anything is pointing to c:\Program.

I'm sure you've already noticed that this is the folder you would get if you truncated c:\Program Files. Not sure if that is what happened.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
Well, one easy thing to do is run msconfig.exe and look at the startup programs and boot time options, and see if anything is pointing to c:\Program.

I'm sure you've already noticed that this is the folder you would get if you truncated c:\Program Files. Not sure if that is what happened.

Did all that. No reference to the directory. Im gonna scan the registry for any reference. Program files is fine.

 

[bersl2]

Truncation at a space usually means somebody along the line forgot to quote something.

 

[Oyeve]

Well, the mysterious message went away. Dont know what the hell it was. Maybe NAV10 caught it and fixed it behind the scenes. I'll check the history log and see if any info is there.

 

[Bluestealth]

Originally posted by: bersl2
Truncation at a space usually means somebody along the line forgot to quote something.

Whats even more amazing is that %PROGRAMFILES% is not the same as "%PROGRAMFILES%"

in otherwords the one out of quotes doesnt work... guess it makes sense %PROGRAMFILES% probably holds a string value for "C:\Program Files" and the filesystem interprets the value as C:\Program, just as if you typed it with the space...

 

[MadRat]

I'm not sure what you're getting at with %PROGRAMFILES% is not the same as "%PROGRAMFILES%" when the system should recognize the system variable of %PROGRAMFILES% in a path as whatever is defined within the registry, normally set to C:\Program Files in most installations. It should recognize %PROGRAMFILES% in quotes as a system variable, too. The characters that set off the variable are immediately recognized quote or not.

 

[Bluestealth]

When you try to add anything after %PROGRAMFILES%, such as %PROGRAMFILES%\SomeProgram\some.exe it will see that as C:\Program, if you tell it to use "%PROGRAMFILES%\SomeProgram\Some.exe" it will see it as C:\Program Files\SomeProgram\Some.exe... It does work if you are not pointing to a file or just CDing though... strange

mkdir %PROGRAMFILES%\Something... ends up as mkdir C:\Program
copy C:\hack.exe %PROGRAMFILES%\Something\Something.exe invalid syntax

 

[Brazen]

I've seen poorly written installers create a C:\Program directory and then install into the correct place in Program Files. It's probably not from a virus; is probably empty; and can probably be deleted.