What is file name beginnning with etilsq_

What is the following file. Created by Firefox vers 3.0.10.

etilqs_jqMl70mCVku4gjq4B7fM

File like this, always same beginning letters created by Firefox every time I start it up. Goes away when I close Firefox. In folder C:\Documents and Settings\my name \Local Settings\Temp.

Starts out at zero and eventually ends up at 29 KB or more in size.

Have to not been able to track when it is written to and did not used to be there. Virus checkers etc not find anything wrong with it. Should I be concerned or not? did a search on it and found mostly foreign language references and have no idea what it is.

Thanks,

 

Tony,

Thank You


never noticed it till recently

 

I was going to start a new thread about this issue since I recently discussed it with Westside.

However, this etilqs_ issue seems to be quickly resolved as far as jorjab is concerned, so I hope nobody minds I am adding valuable information to this thread (not really "hijacking" ) by posting more details below. Maybe I'll get lucky and get some answers too.

WinPatrol's dog occasionally startingly barks and presents me with a "New Program Alert" window that displays the above-mentioned etilqs_???????? file as the "new program ". The path to the file is displayed right below that.

Here's what WinPatrol's "PLUS" Information (available to paid users) says about the alerts.

Sometimes I will get only one alert. Other times I will get three or four alerts in quick succession as I delete the files via WinPatrol. I have not yet determined a pattern such that I can reproduce the alerts at will. (This time I did have several Firefox tabs. Some tabs were created by links. Other tabs were created with Ctrl-T. I wonder whether that has something to do with the SQLite temp files being created or not.)

The WinPatrol alerts are beginning to annoy me though.

Westside stated he has never seen these WinPatrol alerts. Therefore, I wonder whether it's because his browsing style differs drastically from mine or malware might actually be causing WinPatrol's dog to get excited in my computer.


EDIT: My OS: Windows XP Home SP3 | My WinPatrol: PLUS v16.0.2009.6
WinPatrol Alert issue occurs with at least Firefox versions 3.0.11 and 3.0.10 (and maybe earlier?).

EDIT#2: I searched http://www.sqlite.org/changes.html for "WinPatrol" and found nothing. I searched for "etilqs" and found only one mention (of the date SQLite started naming it's temp files backwards). In other words, I did not fin ANY mention of WinPatrol's "New Program Alert" popup windows.

1. Does anyone know WHY WinPatrol occasionally alerts about these etilqs_?????? files?
2. Does anyone else here see these WinPatrol alerts too?
3. Can anyone else here produce the WinPatrol alerts at will? If so, then how?

 

Thanks, Tony.

WinPatrol might also alert because the file is flagged as Hidden. After I have a better handle on these alerts, I may contact the WinPatrol author for verification (and perhaps a program fix).

Yet, also seems possible malware could create/modify those "etilqs_????????" files (knowing that legitimate software also creates them). Might help malware slip "under the radar" and avoid detection.

Also seems strange Westside (and anybody else who has viewed this discussion so far) has never seen a related WinPatrol alert.

The only non-default WinPatrol configuration option I recall (with certainty) ever making is "Display original Scotty Taskbar icon ". I also have enabled "Warn if changes are made to my Internet HOSTS and critical System files." (which might be a default setting).

I just got another alert after opening this thread in a new tab via my WindowsBBS Control Panel and the file size is currently 0 bytes (when I view its properties in Windows Explorer). I did not delete the file and I will see if it grows like jorjab mentioned.

I'd sure like to be able to create these "etilqs_????????" WinPatrol alerts on-demand. (So far, they seem rather random.)

Anyway, perhaps more "WinPatrol and Firefox" users will weigh in with their observations (or "lack of" observations ).

Thanks again!

 

after you posted I have been trying to get Winpatrol to bark about this and cannot get it to happen to me.

Have no idea why you get problem and I don't. I do not keep Wi Patrol running all the time but will try it with Firefox for a while to see if ever happens to me.

have fun with the mysteries of the computer. I have one of my own I posted and cannot solve.

Jorjab

 

As a replied to the other thread, I said that I had never heard of WinPatrol. As TonyT said, above WinPatrol is an app, which must be downloaded and installed. So, it is not a case of different browsing style, but rather presence or absence of an external app

 

Thanks, jorjab and Westside.

Westside, I'm sorry I assumed you were a WinPatrol user. We know what happens when one assumes.

Anyway, I did some more digging tonight about this sqlite thing and found a Wilders Security thread that made me dig deeper for my WinPatrol settings.

"tbay2athome" stated,

That made me start looking for a "monitor hidden files" setting and I discovered it under WinPatrol's Options tab by clicking the "Hide Alert Messages" button. Appears I had made a non-default setting change long ago and forgot about it. (I had even forgot there were options under that button.) I had "Show All Alerts (for temporary usage)" enabled.

I think I have this WinPatrol "New Program Alert" problem solved.

Thanks again, everyone, for your patience and efforts!