Win10 cannot delete a file - boot up problems?

[MJKT2014]

Hi,

 

My Win10 runs on a 6 year old SSD and now occasionally won't boot, goes thro diagnostics routine and eventually boots after several attempts. Today it booted immediately. So variable. The boot error log refers to a problem with the file shown on image below. I cannot delete it or even find it with cmd. A virus check finds nothing. A checkdsk scan finds nothing. Is this a sign of a failing SSD? The SSD report says it is OK. How to remove the offending file and make Win10 boot up reliably? Any ideas appreciated thanks.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2018 by MJKT2014

[Pib]

deleted...earlier I first posted something about a missing mshcmd.dll file but you are missing a mshcmd.sys file.

 

I doubt it's a SSD problem; instead, just a corrupted/missing file or registry.

 

Since it appears to be a missing driver file have you deleted any programs recently?

Edited January 1, 2018 by Pib

[MJKT2014]

2 hours ago, Pib said:

deleted...earlier I first posted something about a missing mshcmd.dll file but you are missing a mshcmd.sys file.

OK thanks for helping, but now I'm confused! Why am I missing a mshcmd.sys file and what is that for anyway?

 

My main thought was that I had a "mshdmd.sys." file that was the offending party and causing my Win10 to boot erratically. At one stage a log file was created saying the file was corrupt during boot process which pointed me to this file. It has a strange file extension with an extra "." on the end. I couldn't find anyway to delete it as per my error messages in first post. Then I installed Linux on a USB bootable thumb drive and was able to delete the "mshdmd.sys." file from Win10 System32/drivers folder using Linux booted off USB. Now the file is gone. I have no idea where it came from or any other way to be rid of it.

[RichCor]

I think Pib's mshcmd.sys >> mshdmd.sys

 

What happens if you do a SFC /SCANNOW

 

 

[MJKT2014]

Just now, RichCor said:

What happens if you do a SFC /SCANNOW

Yes, I tried Checkdsk and SFC /scannow and both found no errors.

 

I was suspecting some kind of hardware failure??

[maxpower]

Just a quick look and I see (mshdmd.sys.) as a concern because there should not be a a dot after file ext if windows has it registered correctly in the error log. I suggest you look into what nasty routine or application wants a file that cant be system listed. This error should cause boot delay not fail maybe something more serious is related to it.

[Thaijack2014]

Hey, I just simply googled both files and the answer was that they might be part of a rootkit, a virus. Just copy the files and load them up to http://www.virustotal.com/

It might help!

Good luck.

[MJKT2014]

43 minutes ago, Thaijack2014 said:

they might be part of a rootkit, a virus

I thought about that before I deleted it with Linux. My Malwarebytes Free (with rootkit detection turned on) did not find it running on Windows. I couldn't copy or upload file from Windows to  a web site, maybe I could have with Linux, now I will wait and see if more troubles ahead, so far nothing since deleting the file with Linux. 

[maxpower]

3 hours ago, MJKT2014 said:

I thought about that before I deleted it with Linux. My Malwarebytes Free (with rootkit detection turned on) did not find it running on Windows. I couldn't copy or upload file from Windows to  a web site, maybe I could have with Linux, now I will wait and see if more troubles ahead, so far nothing since deleting the file with Linux. 

For future ref. If you discover files written to avoid detection then rename and move to flash drive under Linux. Windows tools will then have access.

You can work with these files at windows command line with a few option switches applied. 

[JSixpack]

May be associated with Microsoft IntelliType Pro Keyboard Software. Uninstall and reinstall that if you're using it.

[MJKT2014]

On ‎03‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 9:52 AM, JSixpack said:

May be associated with Microsoft IntelliType Pro Keyboard Software. Uninstall and reinstall that if you're using it.

This was a hardware fault in the end, probably the RAM cards which caused the laptop to behave more weirdly when moved amongst RAM slots. I was always suspicious of hardware as the laptop is old and dirty. I did a complete strip down to the chassis, dusted it all off and rebuilt it with a new keyboard replacement as well. Now everything has been running as new for about a week.