just wondering

[f4rm0r]

Hi all, I have an unknown user in my properties security tab, and I wonder is it a virus or not?

I know that this is general, but since this is only a question I figured that it might fit here?

it first started out by me starting up this computer (like usual) and when I was trying to start up BF3 (Battlefield 3 if you did not knew it, and it was a while ago since I last played it) it told me that I had to update my battlelog addon on Firefox.

so I clicked on Download... nothing happens... tried several times...

after trying to download several things from internet (like Java, flash) I tried to find a answer, and I found one, so I applied it and then when I tried to download an update for java it said that I missed permissions for that folder, and guess what, it was my Downloads folder, so I looked up in properties --> Security tab and I saw that I had no permission to write, but a Unknown user had complete control...

The Unknown users name looks generic:

S-1-5-21-4044424202-2485922779-1967464663-1000

I have searched for unknown userson internet, and I have gotten mixed responses, both that it is a virus, and that it is not a virus... so I am asking on this Forum for a final answer to that question;

is it a virus?

I am uploading picture just so I can show you how it looks like (those are the properties of my "Downloads" map)

Have a good day and thank you for reading this post and hopefully taking your time to answer it as well

[David H. Lipman]

That's an orphaned SID and can be accounted for by a user's account that was not properly deleted or if the PC had once been connected to a Domain or it is a drive used on a different computer whose account can't be reconciled.

BTW: It is a common misperception that all malicious software are viruses.

All malicious software fall under the overarching concept of "malware". All viruses are malware but not all malware are viruses.

[f4rm0r]

That's an orphaned SID and can be accounted for by a user's account that was not properly deleted or if the PC had once been connected to a Domain or it is a drive used on a different computer whose account can't be reconciled.

BTW: It is a common misperception that all malicious software are viruses.

All malicious software fall under the overarching concept of "malware". All viruses are malware but not all malware are viruses.

I now know that it is from my other windows I have on my other partition on this computer

I reinstalled windows, to be free from bloatware... but it crashed saying it was no longer genuine (when I bought this lappy I asked specifically for a Retail Windows key, and they said that I got that, so it is not that)

Thank you for your answer