XPS Desktops

[Outlaw Wales]

 

 

Hello,

I am noticing a few seemingly odd named  .wim image files in various system folders.  

I was just worried about them being related to a root kit of keylogger or whatever kind of malware. But my scans (full ) on defender and on McAfee (I installed McAfee just to get a second opinion) both came up clean. I did have some ‘weird seeming’ behavior from defender in windows 11.

After a full scan the message came up about everything being clean, but there some files skipped. When I clicked on view those skipped files, I got this picture error:

the second picture is of 4 named .wim files.  

-any thoughts or suggestions on how to proceed?  I’d love to follow some suggestions and ease my mind of this concern, whether it be a rational or irrational.  

thank you, 

DB

Ps the text in white at bottom I added via edit pic for my notes

also, posting from my phone, and first post disappeared.  I attribute that to my user error…if moderator considers this a double post, then please pm me and my apologies.  

[JOcean]

This page should help at file.org. They are not malware or a virus. The files contain disk images.

[RoHe]

And if you mess with those .WIM files, you could prevent future access to the disk images, should you ever need to reset Windows to the factory image...

[Tesla1856 · Accepted solution]

Thanks guys.

I have the same ones on my Windows-11 system. I showed @Outlaw Wales  (an image via PM) . IMO, the computer is NOT compromised (at least not because of this) and I think this issue is now closed.

He is now moving to get it backed-up via Macrium Reflect.

[Outlaw Wales]

Thank you so much everyone.  Kudos to @Tesla1856 for solution as well as all others!  Solved indeed.  Now I need to know how to install Macrium and run the suggested backup or image and if necessary media creation.  Or aka rescue disk I think.  Grateful to you all

DB

[ispalten]

Macrium has announce Free is 'ending'. See https://www.neowin.net/news/macrium-reflect-free-windows-backup-software-will-be-dead-soon-limited-s... for details.

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Macrium Reflect Free v8.0 is the last version to receive feature, compatibility or bug fix updates.

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Security will continue for over a year though.

However, today, 12/1 is the last day of the SALE @ 50% off (https://www.macrium.com/black-friday?x-campaignid=v8-013cb ) and it might be wiser in the long run to get that.

Not that the Free will not work, but there could be a problem in the future that you would not hit until you tried to recover a back-up possibly?

Of course, if the back up itself would fail, then you'd probably be able to buy the product and still use older back-ups if needed.

For now, use the Free one but be aware of the possible future problem.

[Tesla1856]

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@ispalten wrote:

Macrium has announce Free is 'ending'. See https://www.neowin.net/news/macrium-reflect-free-windows-backup-software-will-be-dead-soon-limited-s... for details.

However, today, 12/1 is the last day of the SALE @ 50% off (https://www.macrium.com/black-friday?x-campaignid=v8-013cb ) and it might be wiser in the long run to get that.

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Thanks for the heads-up @ispalten ,

I went ahead and picked-up the 4-pack license of Macrium Reflect v8.x (Personal/Home) for half price (yes, sale is still running on Thursday 12-1-2022).