Suspicious file on desktop

It sometimes happens that a file is placed on my desktop with Microsoft logo.

I have opened the file with Excel and discovered that the file contains details from the address list in my Outlook Express.

I have not been able to detect in which combination the file is created.

Has any of the other members experienced the same and does somebody have an explanation.

 

you might want to run this online virus scan (it's FREE!!) http://housecall.trendmicro.com
also something that does work is to put the following in your address book in Outlook Express name:!!000wormalert email address: wormalert@wormalert.com

As there is no such address the email will come back to you alerting you to the fact that something tried to send an email without you knowing about it

 

mariola--One of the "fixes" from MS several months ago causes this glitch.
What that file is (which I believe you will see is named "~ ") is your yourname.wa~ file which on my PC resides in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book .
That file is the backup for yourname.wab (the OE Address Book). But now, after the glitch, the .wa~ file is no longer getting updated when you make a change to Address Book. Rather it goes to your Desktop as "~" instead of to C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book as yourname.wa~.
However, your Address Book, itself, is still getting updated. So unless you worry about the backup no longer being updated(what good is it, anyway??), you can delete the "~" file. Or if you cannot live without the updated backup .wa~ file, then just rename that suspicious "~" file to yourname.wa~ and send it to the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book folder (replacing the existing and now outdated yourname.wa~ file).
Supposedly MS was working on a fix many months ago, but I have seen no announcement of one yet, and none of the recent MS fixes have cured the problem.

 

Thanks to Welshjim for the explanation.

Its correct I had just added a new address to my address book.

Your explanation makes me relieved.

Also thanks to eagle20. I did run my virus scan. It was OK.

changed to

 

thanks for posting back glad you got that resolved w/o any serious issues

 

mariola--you are welcome!!

 

"Fix" to the Outlook ~ tilde file problem

First thanks to Welshjim for posting what is causing this ~ file to appear on the desktop. Second, please forgive my spelling.

Upon futher research and reading the problem is the April Outlook Express Patch numbered Q330994..... as of this date Microsoft still has not posted any info on this error and/or a fix to it..... You can Uninstall this patch and it will FIX the problem.. but you will not have the "protection" that this patch provides... So you might want to try this....

For some reason Microsoft uses the absolute file path that the file you execute resides for some system settings..... Including where to save this ~ file....

To see this you will want to find the directory in which your Outlook Express executable (msimn.exe) resides and run the actual executable.. If you make some changes to your address book and then close Outlook Express you will notice that the ~ file shows up there. Rather dumb don't you think!?!?!?

To fix this you will want to change the "Start in" field in the properties of the shortcut that you are using to start Outlook Express... weither this shortcut is on the desktop or in your Start menu (if Outlook Express is started from the Start Menu then the ~ file is saved to the root of your C: drive, or whatever drive is your primary partition). If you do then then the ~ file is written to that directory... you will still have a backup of your address book, you do not have to remove this patch, and you no longer have to put up with is Microsoft f*!*@*-up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a suggestion.. you might want to change this "Start in" field to the directory where the (yourloginname).wa~ file is located.

Hope this helps you people out there...

-trekgod.

 

Hello trekgod

Tried to do as suggested but receives following message after inserting suggested information in "Start in" field:

Not possible to save changes in Outlook Express.Ink
Admission dinied.

Regards

 

As I have posted in
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19515&perpage=15&pagenumber=2
"The ~ file is what should be the .wa~ file, which is the backup for your Address Book (which is the .wab file).
So regardless where you generate the ~ file, the more important consequence is that the backup for your Address Book is not getting updated anymore.
If you care to update the backup, the next time you generate a ~ file, rename the ~ file to "youremailID.wa~" and substitute it for the now outdated youremailID.wa~ file which sits in the same folder as the .wab file (Address Book).
The Address Book, itself, is still being updated and is not affected by this bug.
P.S. The ~, .wa~ and .wab files are best opened with wab.exe found in your "Open With..." window. That will produce the proper Address Book formatting. "


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