I found .vdm files inside of folders with long names (numbers and lv letters). I don't know where they came from or what they are for but am afraid to delete them. Can I delete them? Where did they come from? What are their functions?1 person needs an answerI do too

I found .vdm files inside of folders with long names (numbers and lv letters). I don't know where they came from or what they are for but am afraid to delete them. Can I delete them? Where did they come from? What are their functions?This is what FileExt.com says. Do you have any of these applications installed?Detailed information for file extension VDM:Primary association: SolidCut CAD/CAMCompany: Camtek Ltd.File classification: CAD/CAMOther applications associated with file type VDM:VDM Play(VideoSwitch digital CCTV recording) VEDIT (Macro File) by Greenview Data, Inc. VEDIT edits, translates and sorts any text, data, binary (hex) or EBCDIC file; even over 100 Gigabytes. This is a macro command script file. This association is classified as Text. Related links:Description of VEDIT Macro Capability

LemP or FileExt.com:I don't believe I( have any of those programs installed. I've never heard of them and don't see them on my program list. I can't say for sure when these folders and files started appearing or why. I believe I may have installed my Avast security free download about that time. Also, I had BestBuy transfer all the data from an old computer onto my current one but that didn't have any programs or problems with files like this going on. I'm not at all a technical person, really just a layman home user. Yesterday, after submitting this question and reading some of the other queries re these files aI went ahead and just deleted them. Maybe a dumb thing to do. In any case that's what I'm basically trying to find out: Are these new VDM files necessary to the operation of the computer? Should I be concerned about some of the warning messages I get when deleting them about possibly screwing up the operation of the computer?

These might have been leftover install and/or update files or they might have been malware.Do you have an up-to-date antivirus application installed?I suggest that you download the free version of MalwareBytes Antimalware from malwarebytes.org , update it and then do a scan of your entire system. This will take a while; you don't have to hang around while it's scanning.As a general principle, if there are files that you think can be deleted -- but are not really sure -- the best thing to do is to rename them (e.g., somefilename.vdm to somefilename.xxx) and/or move them to a new folder. If you don't notice any problem after a week or so of your usual operation, you can feel pretty safe in deleting them.

LemP: In frustration I deleted them, probabloy not smart but so far no apparent impact alothough my computer does run much slower than it should. There is a program I have called Microsoft Forefront Client Security. Also, at a friend's suggestion I have Avast! antivirus free download which I added a couple of months ago, possibly (not sure) about the same time as these files appeared. I will follow your suggestion and download malwarebytes and scan the system. What does that do? Scan for viruses? Thanks.

HiI usualy take is such issues two steps.First I change the extentions of such files to something arbitrary like .zzzThen I wait for a while to see if new .vdm would appear, or if something suddelny would diplay a message looking for this files.After few weeks if nothing happens I delete it.In any case, .vdm files are associated with Windows Defender (Windows native Anti-Malware application) Update Files. Jack, MVP-Networking. EZLAN.NET