I have a downloaded file that causes a buffer overrun for windows explorer.exe (I an using vista home basic). I know exactly where the file is but it will not allow me to even click on it and I cannot delete it. I have a paid subscription for norton anti-virus and I have run about a dozen more different virus scans and nothing finds it. Please help

Hello blurredvision80,

This may not be malware related. Because of this and because you didn't enclose any logs, I'm shifting this to the VISTA forum for now to rule out possible OS issues.

Orange Blossom

Where exactly is this file located (the exact path)?
Have you tried deleting it in Safe Mode?

It is in a file on my desktop c:\desktop\music
I have tried safe mode and the buffer overrun error still happens and I still can't delete it
-blurredvision80

The next thing to try is to delete it from a Command Prompt in the Vista Recovery Environment. To do this you'll have to launch Startup Repair: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

If that doesn't work, then we'll have to get aggressive with it.

I unfortunately cannot find a Windows CD for this computer to run the startup repair
sorry
blurredvision80

Some links to Startup Repair ISO's: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/blogs/usas...?showentry=1261

I have done everything you asked, including making a vista recovery disc, trying to delete from the command prompt, and running startup repair. Still nothing seems to even recognize the existence of this file, even though I am sitting here looking at it. Any more ideas? This is getting quite frustrating.
Thanks for the Help
Blurredvision80

This seems to resemble an issue in this thread (where the pagefile.sys file wasn't findable): http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic190488.html
The OP used a bootable disk along with an NTFS reader to locate and delete the file - it's in the end of Post #8 here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ind...t&p=1069140

Give that a try to see if you can delete it that way.

All of the instructions in the link you provided last are for windows xp and I am running vista home basic
I also do not have a floppy drive to run NTFS reader
I ran the defrag that the thread recommended
this may be getting too deep for me as I am only about an intermediate user
What next?
thanks for trying to help!
Bluredvision80

The steps should work for Vista as well as XP.
If you don't have a floppy, then you'll have to use a utility like the Ultimate Boot CD to do this. Here's a link to it: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

I'm not familiar with the tool, so it'll take some experimentation on your part to figure it out.

I guess I dont know what I am doing well enough to figure this out
I got that ultimate boot cd, but it went into dos and wanted me to do things that I have no idea what they are and I am worried about making it worse
I also noticed that I can now see the file in DOS with the command prompt, but when I gice it the delete command it says cannot find file specified
I check my spelling 3 times
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
Blurredvision80

I just noticed that when I first start my computer it says buffer overrun on c:\windows\system32\rundll.dll
I hope this helps
blurredvision80

Problem Solved!
I isolated the bad file by moving everything else out of the folder it was in.
Then I went back to Vista Recovery and used the command prompt
It wouldn't let me delete the file, but it let me delete the whole directory
File is gone and no more error windows.
Thanks for all your help!
BlurredVision80

I'm glad that you figured it out! Thanks for letting us know!