Hi GemmaJones, All I can find on a crypt file extension is an encrypted Whatsapp file that is usually found on an Android machine. I also found something about a kapersky file, but it does not look like you use this.

I did also try to reproduce this with a new profile on a Windows XP professional machine, and there were no crypt files in Windows\Temp or Windows\pchealth\helpctr\Temp

If you do use kapersky, these may help:

• http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forum.../kasperskycrypt-file/
• http://websiteconfetti.hubpages.com/h.../How-to-Delete-Kaspersky-Temporary-Files-and-Speed-Up-Your-Computer

There are also instructions for running a few virus scans, as sometimes more than one is needed: Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.

You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

• Microsoft Safety Scanner
• MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
• Anti-Rootkit Utility - TDSSKiller
• AdwCleaner (for more info, see this alternate AdwCleaner download page)
• Hitman Pro
• ESET Online Scanner

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.

Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

What is the full address (folder) and name of the file?

===

In a new tab or window address bar, type about:support and press Enter. Under the main banner, press the button; Copy Text To Clipboard.. Then in the reply box at the bottom of this page, do a right click in the box and select Paste.

Application Basics

Name: Firefox Version: 31.0 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/31.0

Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days

OK. done that. Also is a screenshot of the file in Windows Temp. I use Zone Alarm, which does not find any virus in the Crypt folder. I have never had Kasperski on my PC. All Crash Reports

Extensions

Name: Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant Version: 0.0.0 Enabled: false ID: {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

Graphics

Adapter Description: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000 Adapter Drivers: nv4_disp Adapter RAM: Unknown Device ID: 0x0185 Direct2D Enabled: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 182.65 or newer. DirectWrite Enabled: false (0.0.0.0) Driver Date: 10-22-2006 Driver Version: 6.14.10.9371 GPU #2 Active: false GPU Accelerated Windows: 0/1 Basic Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 182.65 or newer. Vendor ID: 0x10de WebGL Renderer: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 182.65 or newer. windowLayerManagerRemote: false AzureCanvasBackend: skia AzureContentBackend: cairo AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0

Important Modified Preferences

browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 1 browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 7 browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID: 20140716183446 browser.startup.homepage: about:blank browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20140716183446 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 31.0 browser.tabs.loadInBackground: false dom.mozApps.used: true extensions.lastAppVersion: 31.0 font.internaluseonly.changed: true network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1407922231 places.history.enabled: false places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 53674 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/pdf plugin.importedState: true plugin.state.npdsplay: 2 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_bgcolor: false print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_bgimages: false print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_colorspace: print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_command: print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_downloadfonts: false print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_duplex: 1515870810 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_edge_bottom: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_edge_left: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_edge_right: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_edge_top: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_evenpages: true print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_in_color: true print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_margin_bottom: 0.5 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_margin_left: 0.5 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_margin_right: 0.5 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_margin_top: 0.5 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_oddpages: true print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_orientation: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_page_delay: 50 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_data: 9 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_height: 11.00 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_name: print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_size_type: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_size_unit: 1 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_paper_width: 8.50 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_plex_name: print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_resolution: 1515870810 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_resolution_name: print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_reversed: false print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_scaling: 1.00 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_shrink_to_fit: true print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_to_file: false print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_left: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_right: 0 print.printer_Samsung_ML-2010_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_top: 0 privacy.clearOnShutdown.cookies: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.formdata: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.offlineApps: true privacy.clearOnShutdown.sessions: false privacy.cpd.offlineApps: true privacy.cpd.siteSettings: true privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs: true privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown: true privacy.sanitize.timeSpan: 0 storage.vacuum.last.index: 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite: 1406800837

JavaScript

Incremental GC: true

Accessibility

Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0

Library Versions

NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.10.6 Version in use: 4.10.6

NSS Expected minimum version: 3.16.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16.2 Basic ECC

NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.16.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16.2 Basic ECC

NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.16.2 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16.2 Basic ECC

NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.16.2 Version in use: 3.16.2

Experimental Features

Oops! I thought I'd put my extra reply after the info you asked for. Instead it ended up almost at the top! Sorry about that. As you can guess, I am still using Windows XP because I am trying to hang onto it for as long as possible. I don't understand Windows 8; I am not impressed with it and I'm hoping Microsoft will come to its senses and bring out something more user-friendly for desktop users instead of a cobbled-together verion of an OS more suited to tablets and smart phones! I used to have Security Essentials and IE for a browser, but of course, these are no longer supported for XP by Microsoft. Anyway, the 'Crypt' file only appears every now and again; is always empty and certainly is not a virus. I was just curious as to what is causing it. It may not be Firefox at all! (could you see the screenshot attachment at the bottom of the last message?

I looked at Win 8 on another computer. Very confusing. I'll stay with 7.

That file could be like a cookie for a program. It's presence being a flag.

I've got Win 7 on a little netbook. It's nowhere near as good and helpful as XP. The 'Shell' is missing for one thing and I can't run my 'Folder Size' program on it. You can't get to things like you can with XP and I don't feel in control of it at all. I know my XP PC inside out and am very loath to part with it! I'm just being careful of the sites I visit and have made my browser as safe as I can. That is, I could do that with Internet Explorer, but I'm not so sure of how to do it with Firefox as it's so different.

I noticed that the last time 'Crypt' appeared, I had my portable hard drive connected so that I could back up my stuff. I do this every week. I also created an image with Macrium Reflex. However, the fact remains that I have only had this file appearing since I installed Firefox and that's why I thought it had something to do with it. It's a real mystery!

The next time you run the back up, does the crypt file change its timestamp?

Now know it has nothing to do with the backup. Another one had appeared in my Temp folder this morning. (I always delete them when they appear) This one dated with today's date and the time was pretty well when I first fired up the PC this morning! All I had done was download my e-mails and of course, Zone Alarm had updated itself. (Can't be that though, because it updates every morning!) I hadn't done anything else! I'm completely baffled. From the beginning, I have thought it had something to do with encryption of some sort. The only site I visited yesterday with encryption was Paypal. That was towards the end of my browsing session. There was no 'Crypt' in Temp before I logged off. So...unless they don't appear until the next log-on, I don't know what to think!

Use a file browser. Find the file, right click and select Properties. Look carefully at everything, including Security. Do you find anything interesting? Opens with: Owner: anything else?

Oh I did all that ages ago. There is absolutely nothing to show where the file comes from, what it opens with or anything. This is a screenshot of what happens when I right click and get properties. I've looked at 'Advanced, 'Sharing' & 'Customise'. Nothing.

Crypt is not a file, it is a folder. Was anything inside?

Did you run all of the anti-mal-ware programs?

I did a search. There are listings for encryption programs.

I found a discussion of your problem;

http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php?showtopic=279600

No. I have already said. These folders are always empty.

All this Kaspersky comments. I have already searched myself over and over and found them all. As I said, I have never had this program on my PC in its entire life. There was another Crypt folder in my Temp folder this morning. It seems to have been put there around the time I booted up. I am now wondering if it has anything to do with Zone Alarm. I might try leaving it in Temp this time and see if it modifies itself. The date and time of creation was today at 10.44 and yet in the 'Date Modified column, the time was 11.02. There has been an update of Adobe Flash Player around that time too. (I don't let that update automatically, but get it to notify me of updates first) I haven't thought to check exactly when these folders are actually created in the past, but now, I'll just see how often it modifies itself. (There has never been anything inside these folders - ever.)

Check your computes start up menus. Make sure you know what everything is.

Windows > Start > ( on the bottom ) All Programs > ( folder ) Startup.

and

Windows > Start > search box > Msconfig. Start the program. Select Startup.

I only have about six items start up in msconfig. All the rest I have de-selected. I've always worked like this.

The empty Crypt folder I left in Win Temp updated itself (modified) itself just after I logged on this evening. The time changed to just after logging on. The 'Created' date & time remained the same. Seems to change then with logging onto the computer. Maybe I ought to have have mentioned, in case it is relevant, that I tried Google Chrome when I had to ditch IE, but didn't like it. I didn't find it very user-friendly and it wouldn't automatically update itself and I couldn't do a manual update either. I kept getting error messages. So I uninstalled it and got Firefox instead. I am wondering if this Crypt folder could be something left over from that? I did do a completely thorough uninstall using Revo Uninstaller.

Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test.

• http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/how-to-start-windows-in-safe-mode/

You can use the MSConfig program or the Autoruns utility to see which software and services are getting started (be cautious with disabling services).

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx