~ file???

[Patty]

I just got a new computer with Windows xp. I don't know
exactly when or what i was doing last night but now i
have a file on my desktop the just says "~" (without the
quotes). When i try to open it......it says the file has
either been removed or relocated and then it says
something about windowsshell.com. Then it tells me i
don't have access to this file. I'm afraid to remove it
because i don't know what it is. Can anyone help me out
here. This WindowsXP is all new to me. Thanx...Patty

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

What is the Tilde (~) file that appears on Desktop?
http://www.pchell.com/support/tildefile.shtml

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


|I just got a new computer with Windows xp. I don't know
| exactly when or what i was doing last night but now i
| have a file on my desktop the just says "~" (without the
| quotes). When i try to open it......it says the file has
| either been removed or relocated and then it says
| something about windowsshell.com. Then it tells me i
| don't have access to this file. I'm afraid to remove it
| because i don't know what it is. Can anyone help me out
| here. This WindowsXP is all new to me. Thanx...Patty

 

[Gregg Cattanach]

I just got a new computer with Windows xp. I don't know
exactly when or what i was doing last night but now i
have a file on my desktop the just says "~" (without the
quotes). When i try to open it......it says the file has
either been removed or relocated and then it says
something about windowsshell.com. Then it tells me i
don't have access to this file. I'm afraid to remove it
because i don't know what it is. Can anyone help me out
here. This WindowsXP is all new to me. Thanx...Patty

It's a copy of the Windows address book. The was a bug introduced with a
service pack. If you rename it to 'temp.wab' you'll see it is just your
Windows address book. You can safely delete it. (I think it is recreated
when you make changes to your address book.

Gregg C.

 

[randwulf57]

Patty:
"What is the Tilde (~) file that appears on Desktop"
http://www.pchell.com/support/tildefile.shtml

 

[Guest]

I did rename it to tem.wab and it is my windows address
book. Should i just keep it on my desktop or should i
delete it. I was reading the replies from other MVP
about backing it up to a floppy but i didn't get a floppy
on this computer as i don't use it that often and if i
have to copy something to a floppy......i figured i could
copy it on my Windows98se computer. Question
is........keep it renamed temp.wab or delete it?
Thanx........Patty

 

[Gregg Cattanach]

I did rename it to tem.wab and it is my windows address
book. Should i just keep it on my desktop or should i
delete it. I was reading the replies from other MVP
about backing it up to a floppy but i didn't get a floppy
on this computer as i don't use it that often and if i
have to copy something to a floppy......i figured i could
copy it on my Windows98se computer. Question
is........keep it renamed temp.wab or delete it?

You can rename it and copy it to some other location on your disk if you
want to keep this backup copy. If you're not worried about having a
specific backup of the address book (i.e. you are backing up your system
properly through some other method), then just delete it.

Gregg C.

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

"Patty" <[email protected]> wrote in message

The was a bug introduced with a service pack.

....about a year ago; still not fixed...

...you'll see it is just your Windows address book.

Consider the word "just", and the privacy implications of leaving this
with known name in guessable locations.

I often wonder whether the risk aspect of this bug is greater than
whatever it was that the defective patch was supposed to fix.

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Running Windows-based av to kill active malware is like striking
a match to see if what you are standing in is water or petrol.