Someone who knows computers please help me out

[Bombtrack]

I have an anti-spyware program that I paid for called "Spysweeper", came at good recommendation. Anyway, I wake up this morning and open up spysweeper, which either my family member had closed or just got closed some other way (I share a computer during the summer).

And here are the "startup shield alerts". I did my best to transcribe the message of the 2 programs of where the programs had been installed. The windows account I'm on is called "Brian" btw so I'm supposed to have that folder. I just don't know about the stuff that might be on it somewhere in that location. Here are the 2 startup items names and also a screenshot that I got them from on "more iformation" on the 2s.

c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c erase c:\docume~1brian\locals~1\temp\acinstall.dll

C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c erase c:\docume~1brian\locals~1\temp\insmac2k.dll

[billyskank]

1. It looks like those startup commands are going to delete DLLs

from your system. This sounds dodgy to me, but I have no idea what these two DLLs acsinstall.dll and insmac2k.dll are.

[Bombtrack]

2. I'm not quite clear on what DLL's are

if more people could respond I'd really appreciate it.

[billyskank]

3. DLLs are important parts of your computer system

They contain library routines that the operating system and other applications use. Deleting them is generally bad.

[IsIt1984Yet]

4. Did someone recently install/update/remove AOL instant messenger?

[Bombtrack]

5. My sibling is the only one who uses instant messenger, so it's possible

They always leave it on too and it was on when I got up this morning.

[IsIt1984Yet]

6. You should ask.

Those entries are "Run Once" start up entries. That means, the next time you reboot, on startup, it will run that command once. Usually these are entries for either completing install or removal of apps. I found some reference that the "acsinstall" entry may be related to AOL connectivity software. Couldn't find much on the other.

If no apps were intentionally installed or removed, then remove those entries using the "Spysweeper". If safe apps were installed or removed, you should be ok in letting the command run on boot. IF it's a trusted app.

[theDash]

7. Those files are in your temp folder

So they are not critical files that will cause problems if deleted. It is safe to just leave that and let it run at next startup to remove those files. Most likely it's cleanup after some install that you (or someone) did recently.