Dear Forum Members and Viewers,

I have scanned my PC and no infections were found. However there were 6 warnings as follows. Can anyone advise about what to do about these warnings??

In master boot sectors HD1 & HD2 & HD3 & HD4:

[info] no virus found
[warning] system error [21]: the device is not ready
[info] please restart with administrator rights

Also:

Begin scan in C:\
C:\hiberfil.sys
[warning] the file could not be opened
C:\pagefile.sys
[warning] the file could not be opened

I found my way here by searching the internet for these topics

Can anyone advise please??

Bye,
rnfstwill

Hi rnfstwill

If you're having Malware related issues with your computer that you're unable to resolve.

1. Please read and follow the instructions provided here: I'm infected - What do I do now?
2. If needed please post your logs in a NEW topic here: Malware Removal - HijackThis Logs
3. When posting logs please do not use any Quote, Code, or other tags. Please copy/paste directly into your post and do not attach files unless requested.


* Please do not post any logs in the General forum. We do not work on any logs posted in the General forum.
* Please do not install any software or use any removal/scanning tool except for those you're requested to run by the Helper that will assist you.
* Using these other tools often makes the cleanup task more difficult and time consuming.
* If you have already submitted for assistance at one of the other support sites on the Internet then you should not post a new log here, you should stay working with the Helper from that site until the issue is resolved.
* Do not assume you're clean because you don't see something in the logs. Please wait until the person assisting you provides feedback.
* There are often many others that require asistance as well, so please be patient. If no one has responded within 48 hours then please go ahead and post a request for review


* NOTE: If for some reason you're unable to run some or any of the tools in the first link, then skip that step and move on to the next one. If you can't even run HijackThis, then just proceed and post a NEW topic as shown in the second link describing your issues and someone will assist you as soon as they can.

No worries, it's perfectly normal for those files to be inaccessible in a scan. They are not normal files and are protected by the OS in a way that generally prevents them from being checked. I'm not sure which AV you did the scan with, but every system I've used Avira on shows this.

Dear rydall,

Thanks for your reply. I request your patience as I'm very new to PCs.

My av scan reports the warnings that I listed in my inital post. I have no malware issues that I know of. My scans come back with no detections. But I'm tryin to understand what the warnings are all about. The hiberfil file is related to the hibernation mode, this I know. But what is the device that isnot ready that is prompting the warnings in the master boot sectors?

Any suggestions appreciated. I'll look at your recommendations that you posted. However, I'm not sure yet that malware is the problem.

Bye,
rnfstwill

Dear exile360,

Yes, I use Avira and the free version as well. Thanks for your assurance. Avira caught 4 trojans recently and quarantined them. I was wondering if the warnings were a result of or a by-product of this brief invasion.

Sounds like the answer to that wondering is NO?

Bye,
rnfstwill

Dear exile360,

Oh...after I posted, I realized I need to ask another question. When you are referring to the files, do you mean hiberfil and pagefile?

If I may ask, what about the other 4 warnings for the four master boot sectors? Specifically, "system error [21]: the device is not ready".

Please pardon these questions if they seem trivial, but I am new to PCs and I am checking out even the basic stuff still for comprehension!

Bye,
rnfstwill

No worries about the questions, the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked . Yes, those are the files I'm referring to and the warnings are normal as well (I've always gotten them when scanning with Avira myself).

Dear exile360,

Thank you for your reply.
Sorry to be slow getting back to you. I've relapsed with the flu, UGH!

A few days later, I began to get warnings in my notification from Windows Security Center that the AV wasn't working. The Avira control center reported that the av guard was activated. HUH?? They seem to be contradicting each other.

I uninstalled Avira AV (free version) and reinstalled it. Now Windows Security Center accessed through control panel reports AV working. On the first system scan using reinstalled Avira, the previous warnings about the system error 21: the device is not working in the master boot sectors WAS NO LONGER THERE!

Interesting, huh? Any suggestions or ideas anyone??

Bye,
rnfstwill

That's odd. Of course it could be because you installed the new version (version 9) that was recently released. It may not show those errors any more (haven't had a chance to test it yet so I'm not sure). As far as the Windows Security Center goes, it could have either been an error with it or with Avira's protection module.

Hi exile360,

Yes, it seemed odd to me as well. It was, in fact, a new version of the free Avira AV. At least I assume so since the logo was updated.

Please forgive if I made a faux pas but I posted my problem at bleeping computers forum as well and someone there directed me to the Avira Forum which (DUH!) being the newbie that I am I hadn't thought of yet.

I'll post there about this and get back to you. Please be patient a I'm slow and recovering from that other virus--the flu.

Bye,
rnfstwill

No problem . If you get a chance, let me know how it works out .