file named ~

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jimmie
  • Start date Start date
J

Jimmie

I found a file in my desktop named ~ and there is no
information as to what type of file it is or it might be,
is there a virus that has this characteristics?
 
I believe this is an artifact left behind by mistake by
Outlook Express during an update.
It is safe to delete it.
 
Mystery solved! It is the result of a windows update 330994 patch. You get
the temp file after a change is made to your address book in Outlook
express. You can see if you have the patch by going to IE....Help...About
and seeing if the patch is listed there. I made a change to my address book
this morning and "Bingo" the file appeared!
Here is the info I obtained! Phewwwwww! Glad that's over with!

One of the "fixes" from MS several months ago causes this glitch.
What that file is (which I believe you will see is named "~") is your
yourname.wa~ file which on my PC resides in C:\Windows\Application
Data\Microsoft\Address Book .
That file is the backup for yourname.wab (the OE Address Book). But now,
after the glitch, the .wa~ file is no longer getting updated when you make a
change to Address Book. Rather it goes to your Desktop as "~" instead of to
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book as yourname.wa~.
However, your Address Book, itself, is still getting updated. So unless you
worry about the backup no longer being updated(what good is it, anyway??),
you can delete the "~" file. Or if you cannot live without the updated
backup .wa~ file, then just rename that suspicious "~" file to yourname.wa~
and send it to the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book folder
(replacing the existing and now outdated yourname.wa~ file).
Supposedly MS was working on a fix many months ago, but I have seen no
announcement of one yet, and none of the recent MS fixes have cured the
problem.
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That "~" (tilde) file is most probably appearing as the result of installing
the "April 2003, Cumulative Patch for Outlook Express (330994)". Microsoft
is aware of the problem and is supposedly working on a fix. Many people are
experiencing this problem and from what I've read about this problem that
icon will also reappear when you reply to an e-mail and you have your
Outlook Express set up to enter the persons e-mail address to your address
book whenever you reply to an e-mail. You can either just put up with it or
follow the uninstall directions for the patch at the link below.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/330994/default.asp

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DaBoss
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