Strange File

PAULDEP · 2003/10/08

Hello all, I just noticed this weird icon on my desktop.
It has the Microsoft Flag and under it there is a ~
I then went to My computer & cliked that to open "C" drive (Hard Drive) and saw it in there to. I highlighted it And clicked on Properties. It said Type File, then Location C, then 174KB.
Does anyone know what the heck it is and is it safe to Delete?
Thank you,,
Paul
GO RED SOX

Lonny Jones · 2003/10/08

Hi

Did you recently update ? and or modifie the address book ?
It shows up on the desktop and in the root of the hard drive on some system to(C://)

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 So unless you worry about the backup no longer being updated(what good is it, anyway??), you can delete the "~" file.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.wab and send it to the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book folder (replacing the existing and now outdated yourname.wab file).Or just delete it, But everytime you change anything in the address book another will apear on the desktop.
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.
That "~" (tilde) file is most probably appearing as the result of installing the "April 2003, Cumulative Patch for Outlook Express (330994) ".
Microsoft is aware of the problem and is supposedly working on a fix. Many people are experiencing this problem and from what I've read about this problem that icon will also reappear when you reply to an e-mail and you have your Outlook Express set up to enter the persons e-mail address to your address book whenever you reply to an e-mail.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/330994/default.asp
Click to expand...

http://www.pchell.com/support/tildefile.shtml

PAULDEP · 2003/10/08

GREAT

Thanks Lonny, first for the quick response & second for the awesome explanation of the problem. You really did a good job of explaining it to me. I hope that other people read it, very helpful. I love looking in this Forum time to time to see if I can learn something. I just went back to Outlook Express from Eudora E-mail 2 days ago. Now I know why I left OE and I use Outlook sometimes too. I get bored with "same old same old" & thats why I like to try different things. E-Mail programs are a good place to start because we use them EVERYDAY!
Thanks again Lonny,,,
~~Paul~~
GO RED SOX

Lonny Jones · 2003/10/08

Well great if thats all it is,to make sure do an online virus check.
Only take a few hours on dialup,,
I certainly didnt write the acticle,, copy paste job.
and the only reason it was a fast respose ,well I was here and Bored

Regards
Lonny

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Strange File

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