AV software reporting non existent files

Hi All,
I have McAfee AV software v4.5.1 SP1 installed, engine 4.3.20 with definitions 4364 on a WinXP SP1 OS.

I use Microsoft Outlook XP as my email client with ActiveSync for my Ipaq.

I have been recieving alot of emails that appear to be viruses, so I just delete them straight away, but McAfee continously pops up reporting that different viruses (usually NetSky or Bagle) has been found in a particular file and that it can't clean or delete the file. If I try and navigate to the location of the reported file (always in c:\documents and settings\user\local settings\temp or in the ActiveSync folder within this directory) the reported file is not there.

I can't work out what is going on! Sometimes up to 20 times I get a virus warning when I boot my computer, all with different files being reported, but I can't find them to delete them and stop this!

Can someone please help?

Your DAT file is way too old. It should be 4374. Update it and try again.

http://www.networkassociates.com/us/...es/default.asp

After you have updated, boot into safe mode (F8) and run it then.

That is an old version of McAfee (I use 7.0) so I am guessing. If you delete a file you just mark the space as available, you do not get rid if the data........it could be that?

Also:

1. defrag your system
2. empty the deleted items folder in Outlook
3. Compress the folders in Outlook

And as you are using XP, watch out for system restore...........you can restore malware as well as your system. There are instructions on the McAfee site on how to disable restore whilst you do a proper cleanup.

Good luck

4.5.1 is still supported but the support will end somewhere in august IIRC.

jamie, prolly u r receiving e-mails with virus thru outlook.
I have some machines with that version of virusscan (but with a fresh .dat) and sometimes it happens, but not when on outlook (i dont use that crap - i advise you to stop using outlook too)
When the users (including myself) are browsing thru internet, from time to time virusscan pops up those kind of alert. If you press "delete/clear" for the action, it said "cleaned/deleted" but after a sec it pops up again the same alert. you cant do anything on the second one, because virus is already deleted. But viruscan wont give up to alert you. The only choice to stop that alert is press "stop".
According to Vendor, it happens due to diferent instances of antivirus engines trap the same virus.
One instance, attached to file processing (system scan), trap first virus and alert you. While you are instructing a/v to destroy the virus, a sencond instace ("html" processing) detect it again when checking html just d/l. but the pop up wont appear until you answer the first one.
So when you answered the first one, a second pop up will appear, but its an old one.
IF IS THE SAME ONE <------ be sure of that -- just press STOP.
It is annoying, but it is for your good (words from Network Associates :P )
I think the 7.0 engine is smarter and consolidate all alerts from diferent instances before ask you to choose an action.
So my guess in outlook is: you are receiving tons of virus thru e-mail. That annoying feature of outlook (preview pane) trigger again and again and again the html processing of the message. A temp file is created to process that. Virus is presented to A/V and A/V react to it.

Thank the lord I don't use that McAfee bullshyt. Never did like it really.

I would suggest upgrading to mcafee 7.0. mcafee 4.5.1 doesn't run well with outlook (there are known bugs). I've found a lot of workstations with 4.5.1 (up to date dats) have malware programs installed that were masking viruses. I've also removed several viruses that 4.5.1 could not by upgrading to 7.0