how to get rid of this C:\MFG\anw.bat

Question

how to get rid of this C:\MFG\anw.bat

D D 5

how to get rid of this C:\MFG\anw.bat? Why is it part of Microsoft?

E H 40 Reputation points

2025-08-22T17:16:24.2233333+00:00

Do you have an alienware pc? virustotal says this batch file has something to do with alienware

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Your answer

E H 40 Reputation points

2025-08-22T17:16:24.2233333+00:00

Do you have an alienware pc? virustotal says this batch file has something to do with alienware

Answer 1

Emmanuel Santana 33,405 Independent Advisor

Hello, this file is very likely not part of Windows or Microsoft 365.

Have you tried to remove it by right-clicking and deleting the file? If so, does it reappear after a system restart?

I advise against executing the file directly since its purpose is unknown. You can review its contents by opening it in a text editor like Notepad, simply drag and drop the file there. If you’d like, you can share the content here for further analysis.

Given its suspicious nature, I recommend deleting it if you are unsure of its origin. Could you please confirm if you have tried deleting it and whether it persists after reboot?

E H 40 Reputation points

2025-08-22T17:15:34.42+00:00

I also have this file and ran it through virustotal which said it's related to alienware computers somehow. I tried to post a question about it but was flagged by microsofts crappy ai filter which flagged it for 'code of conduct' for some reason

Code summary of bat file: Security summary of bat file:

Security summary of an exchange.exe file which is appearing in my MFG folder alongside the bat file:

Do you believe this file to be a virus/trojan?
E H 40 Reputation points

2025-08-22T17:32:59.84+00:00

Microsoft keeps flagging me for code of conduct for some dumb reason, but I have the same issue:Here is the Virustotal scan of the anw. bat file

and here is the virustotal scan of the exchange.exe file appearing with it in the MFG folder.

Do you think it's a trojan, it says it's related to alienware management somehow under the summary of code by virustotal.
Emmanuel Santana 33,405 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-08-25T17:10:51.5733333+00:00
Hello. I really don’t think this is related to Microsoft at all. Both VirusTotal links you shared clearly show that the files, anw.bat and exchange.exe, are flagged by multiple antivirus engines as malware. These aren’t normal system files, and they definitely aren’t part of any legit Alienware or Dell software either, despite what some metadata might suggest.

Quick question: after deleting the files, do they come back after restarting your PC?

Here’s what I’d do next:

Right-click C:\MFG and delete it. Or use PowerShell:
Remove-Item -Path "C:\MFG" -Recurse -Force

Search for "Task Scheduler" in the Start menu → open it → look under “Task Scheduler Library” and see if any tasks are pointing to anw.bat or anything in C:\MFG. If you find any, right-click and delete them.

Go to Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, then pick Microsoft Defender Offline scan and start it. This will reboot your PC and do a deep scan before Windows loads.

This will clean out the files, stop them from running again, and catch anything hiding deeper in the system.
E H 40 Reputation points

2025-08-29T19:38:12.57+00:00

I’ve taken your advice and I also factory reset my device just in case.

However I’m a bit confused for exchange.exe only malware bytes flagged it out of maybe 70 security vendors and for anw.bat only avast and avg flagged it out of about 60 security vendors. Avast, avg, and malwarebytes are all well known for false positives and the other security vendors show them as clear.

So can I ask what about these files are tipping you off as malicious? I very much believe you I just want to know warning signs for the future.

If I recall correctly I reset my pc once before (hard wipe of everything with no backup) and the file was still there when I got the device back up and running. I suspect that is going to happen again this time, if so how do I handle this? And what is it stealing/how worrisome is this? I haven’t noticed any strange activity on any of my online accounts
Emmanuel Santana 33,405 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-08-30T05:11:01.71+00:00
Hello. The red flags are more about context:

C:\MFG is not a standard folder, it’s usually tied to factory or testing setups.

A .bat file running an unknown .exe silently is typical for persistence scripts.

You said the files came back after a full wipe, that strongly suggests they’re bundled into the recovery image or deployed by firmware.

Avast, AVG, and Malwarebytes can give false positives, but they also catch behavioral threats others miss. When something is in an odd location, undocumented, and survives resets, that's where it points out to be malicious.

If anw.bat or exchange.exe reappear:

Open the .bat in Notepad and post the content.

Check exchange.exe with PEStudio. Use the free version.

Run Microsoft Defender Offline scan from Windows Security > Scan options.

Hopefully it won't appear again.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

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how to get rid of this C:\MFG\anw.bat

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