Not sure if I have a virus

[JLS]

I have win xp pro. Every time before I reboot my system, I run ccleaner which clears out all my temp files, cookies, history, and cache. When I run ccleaner immediately after I reboot my system, it always shows 0 files that need to be removed. I noticed yesterday when I run ccleaner immediately after a reboot, there is a temp. system file that appears. I clicked the details of it and this is the exact file:
C:\windows\temp\perflib_perfdata_788.dat.

This file appears every time now after I reboot my system and run ccleaner. The only thing that changes in that file is the number (788) at the end of the file. It is a different number every time I run ccleaner after a reboot. Why is this file appearing? Could it be a virus on my system? I ran avast antivirus and it didn't pick this file up.

[Train]

Normal
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/285798

If you want it to stop, seems they are talking about it here.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/foru...hp/t54540.html

[JLS]

Train, the first thing I tried was disabling the performance and alerts service which I read from the link you provided which I had set to manual and tried to delete those dat files. I was only able to delete one of the 4 listed in my windows/temp folder.

Then, I downloaded and installed the Extensible Performance Counter List (exctrlst.exe) from the one link you provided. There were 3 categories listed under the sort order: library file, service, and counter ID. Also, there is a performance counters enabled box at the box of this program. I unchecked the performance counters enabled box all the items listed in each category under the sort order section and clicked the refresh icon at the top and then tried to delete those dat files located in my windows/temp folder and they still won't delete. I didn't do a reboot after unchecking (disabling) the performance counters enabled box because I didn't think a reboot was necessary.

I still can't delete these remaining files providing I did everything correctly.

[JLS]

One other note is I use win xp pro on my system. It did say in the link you provided that the Extensible Performance Counter List (exctrlst.exe) program works with win xp pro, even though, it states that it is for win 2k.

[fink]

Do a reboot and try to delete them. That's what normally has to happen. the ones that are undeleteable are still in use and when you reboot they become superfluous (normally they are deleted automatically but not always. My XP system keeps them until I delete them manually.)

[JLS]

Hi, Fink. So, I should disable all the items listed in all 3 categories in that Extensible Performance Counter List (exctrlst.exe) program and then reboot and try to delete them? It won't cause problems if I disable all of them and then reboot?

[fink]

I don't know about that. I just let them propogate and then they eventually disappear either by themselves or when I run Ccleaner. They're totally harmless.

[JLS]

I disabled everything in the Extensible Performance Counter List (exctrlst.exe) program, rebooted and tried deleting them immediately after and they still won't delete. I wish I knew what is causing these files and how I can delete them. I don't know why they keep showing up in my ccleaner program when I run it immedately after a reboot. Before ccleaner whould show 0 files running it immedately after rebooting.

[JLS]

I guess nobody else has any suggestions on how I can delete these files?

[jdc2000]

One method that will work is to put the hard drive as a slave into another computer. You should then be able to get rid of the files. Unfortunately, they will probably be recreated when the drive is put back into the original computer.

[JLS]

Jdc2000, good suggestion.

I am wondering what is causing these files to be created on my system? Whenever I would run ccleaner before I would reboot my system and then I would run ccleaner immediately after a reboot, ccleaner would show 0 files to be deleted. The past few days when I run ccleaner after a reboot, it always list those system temp files. Something in the past few days is creating them that apparently weren't created in the past.