cannot open file?

I use AVG as my anti-virus, and i have schedueled test at night and the last one found a virus and im looking through the detailed info for the virus and i noticed that there were many files that said "cannot open, not checked" (btw this is on a XP box) and it would give the path name and all that, and i noticed that all of them were under documents and settings, and they all involved either NTUSER.dat extensions or user.dat extentions and some were network settings, i tried finding these files and running individual av scans but to no avail, i was wondering if there was a way around this problem and if so how.all replies are greatly appreciated.

Those are system files that are currently in use. You should be ok though.

you'd have to do a backup and restore them to a different location to "open" the file.
OR
You can mount it using linux or install that disk as a slave in anther box, then you can "open" them.
Don't expect to make much sense out of them though.

I'm assuming you're using Windows ME or Windows 2000? The reason you can't find them is because, by default, many files and folders are hidden. To unhide them follow the following instructions:

Open Control Panel
Open Folder Options
Click the tab labeled "View"
Check "Show hidden files and folders"
Uncheck "Hide extensions for known types"
Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"
Click "OK"

Try to find them in Explorer and you should be able to.
NOTE: Be very careful working with these files, if you delete one, you're in for a world of pain...

AJ

Quote:

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if you think these files were infected try deleting them ,windows will automatically create them again(i don't know if they get infected again or not...!)

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WHAT?! I thought you weren't supposed to delete them. The most i'd do is move them. If they are recreated, fine, but I don't know if I'd be quick to delete them!

Time to screw up my test box! ;)

avdven im running Xp and i found them thats how i did the individual file scan, and phishphreek thanx for the suggestion i thought about doing that but like avdven said they are not to be toyed with and i seem to have bad luck so knowing me id screw something up, dunno how but...anyways i was just wondering you said that when i mount them and transfer the files i wouldnt be able to make sense of them, your right i wouldnt, but out of curiosity what would i find if i did do that? btw my main reason for concern from all of this started after learning of TCPA and sense then have come to the beliefe that windows has installed some of the software that might be used on TCPA in Xp, i say that because i am unable to play ripped games or watch ripped dvd's on my Xp box, but have no prob under the 98 box, plus after the relese of wmp8 and the ability for them to monitor the activites of you media play with it i have become very very distrustful when it comes to win XP, may be a little to paranoid if that can be possable when refering to M$, anyways i just thought that maybe someone in here knew of some things that M$ had implemented into XP to prevent looking at those files for what ever reason.......god i feel like i should be in consiracy theory now or something;) guess its better to be over paranid then not enough right? thanx for the thoughts guys, take it easy.