Persistent generation of Found.xxx files in root directory

Winver 1903

Hi,
I have a relatively new computer system with a Crucial MX500 SSD (1 TB)

The problem that I am having is that folders that are named Found.xxx (where xxx is numerically sequenced) and are constantly created in the root drive of C

The folders are always empty. initially, the folders are protected and I can't access them. I have to go into Security and add my account and provide permissions for me to open the folder and even then, there are either no contents or I still cannot see the contents. I would say on average, one or two are created every day. Once a week I delete them to keep the list from growing too large.

If there are any .CHK files in any of the folders, I have not yet been able to see them. So it appears the folders are created, but no CHK files are ever created in the folders (again, unless they are hidden from my view somehow)

SMART does not detect any issues with the drive and it is designated as HEALTHY.

I am not encountering any known file system problems. Everything seems to be fine except that these files are created constantly.

I have Windows configured to SHOW Hidden Files.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Caledon Ken said:

Have you run chkdsk c: /F on drive.
Does it appear to be doing a scan with each boot?

I can't tell. But there is a boot delay and the screen is blank during that time.
But a new Found.XXX file is NOT created with each boot.

spunk said:

When a Check Disk is run on a drive and it finds corrupted files from Bad Sectors, it tries to move the data off the bad sectors to a good sector near by, This creates a dummy Found.000 file.
Download HD Tune in my signature, not Pro, go to the Error Scan tab, run a Full Error Scan, not Quick. This will take a long time. If all of the blocks are Green, the drive is healthy. If any of the blocks are RED, then the drive is beginning to fail. You do not have to keep running the test, the drive should be replaced.

Does it matter that this is a SSD drive?

SSD drive seems fine.
This is what puzzles me. Everything seems ok....but these found folders keep being created.

So far, there have been no file errors, no BSOD's, no program errors or anything.

As far as these "Found.xxx" folders, I can't find anything in them. Is the content hidden?
It's as if there is nothing wrong, but the system keeps generating these empty folders anyway. If there was anything in them I could see what was going on.

SMART is not reporting any reallocation errors or any other problems.

- - - Updated - - -

Here is Crystal Disk info on the drive

Caledon Ken said:

Crystal disk not in base 10 for raw values but still nothing jumps out there. No read or write errors, no reallocated blocks.

Do you have any third party tools for cleaning, registry optimization etc?

No third party registry optimization or anything like that. I do have Malware bytes installed.