~ file

[Ivan]

I have this annoying file simply titled "~" come up on my
desktop as a shortcut. The file sits both in
c:/Documents&Settings/USER and in
c:/Documents&Settings/USER/desktop.

On having a look at the file, it seems to contain email
addresses from my contact book in Outlook express.

If I delete the files, they just reappear a couple of
days later.

Any information on what this file is and how to get rid
of it permanently would be greatly appreciated

 

[Ian & Lorraine]

I have this annoying file simply titled "~" come up on my
desktop as a shortcut. The file sits both in
c:/Documents&Settings/USER and in
c:/Documents&Settings/USER/desktop.

On having a look at the file, it seems to contain email
addresses from my contact book in Outlook express.

If I delete the files, they just reappear a couple of
days later.

Any information on what this file is and how to get rid
of it permanently would be greatly appreciated

It's a known annoyance ("feature?") of Outlook Express following the
application of a recent cumulative patch- this icon re-appears every time
you add a new Contact. That's why you're seeing it re-appear every few
days. It's not random- delete the icon and add a new contact now, and there
it will be.

Regards,
Ian.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Ivan,

In part: The "Mysterious Tilde File" usually appears just after you close
OE but only if you made any change to Address Book during this OE
session...but not always.

It's usually found on Desktop but on occasion appears at C:\ . Rename it
~.wab and you'll see it's an exact copy of Address Book. You can either
rename it or simply delete it.

It first appeared in November '02 with 331923/Cumulative Update for OE6-SP1
which was only available via manual download and with the more recent
330994/April '03 Cumulative Patch for OE, available via Windows Update.

/top10faqs.htm

 

[Brent]

The simplest solution is to simply mark it as "hidden" and forget about it.
If you are concerned about the filesize, simply create a file of size 0, and
overwrite it. For me, it has never changed size.

 

[Dwight Stewart]

It first appeared in November '02 with 331923
Cumulative Update for OE6-SP1 which was
only available via manual download and with the
more recent 330994/April '03 Cumulative Patch
for OE, available via Windows Update.

Would those two updates show up in add/remove programs? If so, the problem
is not just limited to those two updates. I have the same problem and don't
see either of those updates in add/remove programs.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/