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AVG seems to have quarantined the two Trojan malware but I can't delete the folders:

Program Files > Google > Desktop > Install > {string of numbers}

Changing Ownership and Permissions doesn't do anything except get Windows Explorer rebooting. Or, there's a pop-up message saying access is denied.

There's a Lock icon on the top, Google, folder.

Has anyone found a way to delete a rooted-in folder in Program Files?

Thanks

Update: The advice was overwhelming to reinstall the OS, so I did that. I backed-up only file formats that were safe, like .odt, .jpg, .avi or .mpg. Those went to a different hard drive and I ran two checks of those files with AVG. Then I performed a clean install which first formatted the infected drive. So far so good, and thanks, everyone, for taking the time to lend advice.

P.S. I was certain this wasn't a duplicate question because I searched for other references to that string of folders: Google > Desktop > Install... Search didn't reveal any references to it. So I asked how to remove that Folder and its contents. I may have received a duplicate solution to the problem -- format and start over -- but I didn't see a duplicate of my question.

1 Answers1

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In malware infections, the overwhelming consensus is to erase everything and do a clean reinstall of the operating system.

You should always perform backups periodically, so in case of an infection you can count on your safe backed-up data. If that is not your case, you can't assume your files are safe, .doc files can contain macro viruses and even media files can contain malware.

In case you don't have a backup for some important file, and it's impossible to re-download it from the original source, you should copy it to an external drive, then use Virus Total to scan the file using 40+ different antivirus engines, then use a linux Live CD to copy it back to your newly-installed OS, because even the external drive could have been compromised when you backed up the files.