"Tilde" File Mysteriously Appears on Desktop

[guru]

Hi,
Whenever I send an email from Outlook Express a mysterious
file (it's empty) that's represented by an open page icon
with a tilde inside suddenly and mysteriously appears on
the desktop. The machine works OK, I have McAfee AntiVirus
installed and in addition have scanned the machine with
both Symantec's and Trend Micro's Online Virus/Trojan
Horse etc. detection tools. Results: zero. Obviously this
file is being "called" from the Registry, MSCONFIG or some
such location (have checked everywhere I can think of
including System.ini, Win.ini etc.) with NO results. Can
anyone help? Please email me directly at (e-mail address removed)

Regards,
Zane Binder

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Most won't e-mail directly as they have no way of knowing if your question
is legit or if you are a spammer trying to collect valid e-mail address
since their e-mail address would be in the header of the e-mail sent to you.

These are peer to peer support groups and the questions and answers are
posted here for the benefit of all.

As to your question:
Check here for explanation:
http://www.pchell.com/support/tildefile.shtml

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Known issue with an update (IE6 something I think?) - MS is aware of it - it
isn't a virus. It's a copy of your address book. I don't know if there's a
fix yet....

Note - posting your valid e-mail address in a newsgroup post, or in your
news account settings, is a surefire way to get spam and SWEN and other
viruses sent to you....see http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm for help
in the future, but note that now that your address is out there, there's not
much you can do other than changing your address.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
Hi,
Whenever I send an email from Outlook Express a mysterious
file (it's empty) that's represented by an open page icon
with a tilde inside suddenly and mysteriously appears on
the desktop. The machine works OK, I have McAfee AntiVirus
installed and in addition have scanned the machine with
both Symantec's and Trend Micro's Online Virus/Trojan
Horse etc. detection tools. Results: zero. Obviously this
file is being "called" from the Registry, MSCONFIG or some
such location (have checked everywhere I can think of
including System.ini, Win.ini etc.) with NO results. Can
anyone help? Please email me directly at (e-mail address removed)

Regards,
Zane Binder
.

It's a(nother) bug in OE. MS has no fix for it at this
time.

<Quote>
....each time a contact is added/deleted from the Address
Book, a
file named "~" is created, just the tilde-- & nothing more-
- for a name.
However, it will happen only upon exit from OE (or from
Address Book, if
you've invoked it directly). Highlight it, Shift+R-Clk
& "Open with--
WAB". Open your true .wab beside it. The ~ file has as
many contacts as
the new .wab, though oddly it's size is smaller.
</Quote>

 

[Plato]

Whenever I send an email from Outlook Express a mysterious
file (it's empty) that's represented by an open page icon
with a tilde inside suddenly and mysteriously appears on
the desktop. The machine works OK, I have McAfee AntiVirus

http://www.bootdisk.com/xptop10.htm#10

 

[Dugjak]

I have the same thing occur sometimes although I cannot work out the pattern
or reason? Can anyone help?

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

I have the same thing occur sometimes although I cannot work out the
pattern or reason? Can anyone help?

This is a bug discovered in the Q330994 update.

It's a backup of your MS address book that's made after you make a change to
it.

Take a look at this for the explanation.
http://www.pchell.com/support/tildefile.shtml


--
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP-Windows Shell/User

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