Help please Win32:Netsky-Q[Wrm]

Avast has detected a worm Win32:Netsky-Q[Wrm] in a couple of locations but cannot remove or delete it.
The locations are in Documents and settings and end \message9196.pif and \message.pif.
I have searched this site for other mentions of this but cannot find any.

Is there any way i can remove the worm?
What does the worm do ie how much of a threat/problem is it?

Many thanks for any help.

I’ll suggest that you:

  1. Disable System Restore on Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];310405
  2. Clean your temporary files.
  3. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast. Start avast! > Right click the skin > Schedule a boot-time scanning. Select for scanning archives. Boot.
  4. Use a-squared, Free AVG Antispyware, SUPERantispyware or Spyware Terminator (trojan removers).

Do you use a firewall? Which one?
Is any other security program installed?

What reason did avast give for not being able to remove them ?

Windows in its infinite wisdom protects files in use (even malware) or in system folders, so it is likely that avast! can’t delete or move files in use. So schedule boot-time scan (as Tech suggested) if you have XP, win2k or NT, otherwise boot into safe mode and run an avast scan. This should ensure that the file isn’t in use and avast should be able to deal with it.

Whilst both of these .pif files are almost certainly malicious, for the future it isn’t a good idea to use delete as a first option, you have no options left if it wasn’t a good detection. ‘First do no harm’ don’t delete, send virus to the chest and investigate as you are doing.