Please Help in Identifying Recurring Locked Temp Files

I was browsing the Comodo Defense+ log and found these entries from last night from the Windows Installer-

MSI94CD.tmp

MSIDF69.tmp

MSIB2CD.tmp

They can not be searched on Google so I was wondering if anyone any of you were familiar with what they are. I have attached a screen capture.

Thanks for your help. I just may go and re-image the computer to an even earlier date and see if I can get beyond all this...

~Maxx~

I re-imaged my computer back as far as I could to the day after I got it back from the shop which was 2 weeks ago nevertheless the fun and games continue as these mysterious temp files which names each begin in ~ which I originally thought were Java temp files appeared once again 8 hours after uninstalling Java and restarting the computer. These are the same type and size as the ones pictured in my first post and I'm asking once again if anyone recognizes them because even though the computer scans clean and is using an image from 2 weeks ago these same locked temp files keep appearing.

One thing that they all have in common is each of their file names begins with ~PI. Can any of you interpret what that might mean?

Thank you so much for bearing with me as I'm hoping that the continued re-occurrence of these kind of locked temp files might somehow be related to some function of the Win 7 OS and one of the Members might be able to identify their true function.

~Maxx~

PS- This just in... I just finished checking out my Vista laptop where I originally started using the program that was using Java Runtime and the AppData file had no folders like the 3 ~PI files I've been seeing in Win 7 lately so it appears that the 3 ~PI files are not Java related at all...

.

Seriously...if you are so OCD about this just use Process Monitor and Process Explorer...

logicearth- I frequently see people here on the Forum report new and unfamiliar files that they have not seen before which have appeared on their computer in order to get opinions from the Membership as to what the nature of these new files might indeed be.

This is the first time I have posted this kind of an inquiry here on the Windows 7 Forums or anywhere else in hopes of getting feedback from the Membership as to what the nature of these strange new files might be and so far no one seems to know what these locked temp files are for or by what agency they have appeared so I feel justified in my concern over them as I think any conscientious and computer security minded person would be.

The latest event was early this morning when these locked temp files appeared with such a fury that they deleted the legitimate 1.25 MB GIMP fontconfiguration file from the AppData Temp folder where it had been since the old HDD had been cloned onto the new SSD nearly 3 weeks ago and GIMP's temp file had to be reconfigured.

~Maxx~

.

I'll tell you what these files are then. They are files that start with "~PI" followed by random hex number with an extension of "tmp". You are taking "conscientious and computer security minded person" way overboard. Either past or are bordering on OCD.

Again use Process Monitor.

Corrine- Now I see what you guys mean. I've had Process Explorer for several years and up until now I've only used it on running processes, but I searched for each of the ~PI .tmps and found their dllhost.exe PID number of 1960! Your bit of knowledge shared has gone a long way toward helping me to finally understand what is actually going on in my computer and has been of infinite more use than condemnation over my level of concern for the security of my computer and its recently installed SSD which has changed so many things.

It was not easy making all of this public, but as I hoped I got the answer I needed at the Windows 7 Forums and most valuable of all I learned some new Process Explorer skills as a bonus that I will certainly be able to use in the future!

Thanks again!

~Maxx~

.

Corrine- 3 new .tmp files just arrived and thanks to your tip on using Process Explorer I was able to check out each one of them! Thanks for the gift of knowledge as to what these .tmp files are although I am still curious as to what their purpose might be on my Win 7 computer and I don't remember seeing them at all before the Intel 320 SSD was installed.

~Maxx~

.

Corrine- That was another great link about the dllhost! You know what they say-

If you help someone with their computer security problem it will be solved, but if help them learn to use the right diagnostic tool they can solve their own computer security problems both now and in the future! Every time I use Process Explorer to research a file I will be indebted to you for getting me started.

~Maxx~

.