Windows 10: In temp files, an .exe appearing every minute, is it a virus?

hi, i was checking Temp folder for unwanted junk, i have found a folder in C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp , which has random folders ' nsxxxxx.tmp' created everyminute and having shangri.exe file in all, I tried to open it but it gives me error, is it virus or potentially unwanted app. McAfee is quarantining this exe file each minute.

:)

 

Temp file in File Explorer

Following a recent update, the Excel temp file shows up in File Explorer, as it should, but then it disappears, then pops up again, then disappears and pops up again, erratic but about every one or two seconds. As it appears at the top of the list, each
time it appears it moves all files down a row, and it does it so fast it is difficult to click on any file below it, as they are all constantly moving up or down. The Word temp file stays there like it should. Suggestions?

 

Temp Files : Runaway Creation

Hello Bruce,

Windows Temporary files are created by the operating system during the normal course of its running when there may not be enough memory allocated for the task.

I suggest you to follow the steps below to delete temporary files nad check if it helps:

Step 1

• Press Windows key + R
• Type temp and click OK
• Press Ctrl + A and click Delete

Step 2

• Press Windows key + R
• Type %temp% and click OK
• Press Ctrl + A and click Delete

Step 3

• Press Windows key + R
• Type prefetch and click OK
• Press Ctrl + A and click Delete

Get back to us, if you have further queries. We will be glad to help you.

 

Files getting automatically deleted in Temp folder

Specs:

• Windows 10 Pro, version 21H2, OS build 19044.2364.
  
• Storage Sense is turned off.
  
• No 3rd party virus scanners or disk cleanup software installed.
  

Issue: Majority of files in system temporary directory (i.e. the path the environment variables TEMP and TMP are pointing to), including files in any subdir underneath, get deleted at times.

I'm not 100% sure when this happens but I've got a strong hunch files disappear on reboot. I restart my PC fairly rarely, mostly when there's a series of updates pending installation and one of them requires a restart.

Interestingly, the entire subfolder structure in temp appears to be fully preserved, so only files get recursively removed.

Based on modified timestamps, few files in temp that have for whatever reason recently persisted where others have been wiped out are a handful of .exe installers I've downloaded off the internet and a single .ico file. None of these files have the Read only attribute set.

If I insist to find out what keeps removing temp files, what would you suggest me to do? Perhaps there's a 3rd party software out there to set up a low-level access monitoring Windows service to see which process tries to delete a particular file?