Can anyone please tell me what this file is? Is it necessary? Can it be deleted? It, or a variation (..._590.dat, ..._54c.dat, ..._72c.dat, ...740.dat, etc.) keeps coming up as an unfixable file when I run Norton Internet Security's One Button Checkup. Neither Windows or Norton seem to be of any help.
They are files that are generated by System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts applications (or any application that is installed and measures some sort of performance). They are supposed to be deleted after a reboot but can be orphaned if something crashes. You should be able to stop the System Monitor and Performance Logs services and then delete them (you may have to do it in Safe Mode).
Thanks. Now, can you tell me how to get rid of it? You mentioned Safe Mode, which I have work in a little, but you didn't say how to get rid of it. Please help!
Boot into Safe Mode, open Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services and stop the Performance Logs and Alerts service if it is running. Then try to delete the files....
So, this isn't a file that I need to run a program, correct? You see, as I said before it shows up in the Norton Internet Security One Button Checkup with all the same filename, except for the last few letters before the .dat. And only one file shows up each time I do the checkup with the different ending filename. It changes each time I run the checkup program. Sorry for the detail, but I am appreciating your help. I'm not at my computer right now. Will there be a whole list of these files to delete, or only the latest one? Thanks.
The file(s) is a temporary file create by an application or service and can be safely deleted. It will be recreated by the application or service when it runs again so it most likely will be back again....
Another thing that may work is a free little program called CCleaner. It finds and rids systems of junk/temp files etc. Give it a try if you like: http://www.ccleaner.com/