Something is modifying my Outlook.PST file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grant Robertson
  • Start date Start date
G

Grant Robertson

I have Outlook installed on both my desktop and laptop. I have been
synchronizing the Outlook.PST file between the two quite successfully for
years. Lately I have noticed that the synchronization would report that
the file had been modified on both PC's even though I know I hadn't
opened it on the laptop or even run anything that should be accessing the
Outlook.PST file on the laptop.

So I started monitoring the situation by regularly looking at the
modified time on the files on both machines. So far this morning
something has modified the Outlook.PST file on both machines several
times this morning. If I just let them sit for a while they will be
modified at relatively random times. However, if I disconnect them both
from the internet for a while then reconnect, they will both have their
Outlook.PST files modified within a few minutes and it seems to happen at
almost the exact same time. Keep in mind, I have not opened Outlook or
run any programs that should have modified the file in any way.

I've scanned for viruses and can't find anything. I am scanning for
spyware as I write this. However, I know there are lots of things that
aren't caught by any of the scanning software these days.

I only recently upgraded to Norton Internet Security 2005 on both of
these PC's. I have a theory that this could be changing the modified date
on my Outlook.PST files. I hesitate to completely disable it on both
machines for fear that some virus that may be causing the problem will
then have free reign.

Does anyone know about any virus or sypware out there that could be
changing the modified time on my Outlook.PST file on a semi regular
basis? Or is there a chance that NIS 2005 is modifying the file for some
reason?

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.
 
Well, I bit the bullet and disabled most of the items on the <Startup>
tab of MSConfig including ccApp.exe and SNDMon.exe which are the
executables that NIS 2005 uses to start and control all the other
components of the background scanning software.

I checked the modified time of my Outlook.PST file on both machines
regularly for an hour or so and there was no change.

So I re-enabled ccApp.exe and SNDMon.exe and rebooted. Within 5 minutes
of rebooting the machines the Outlook.PST files had been modified on both
PC's.

I am definitely going to take this up with Symantec. In the mean time if
any of you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
 
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