Re: File on desktop called "~"

From: Nick FitzGerald (nick@virus-l.demon.co.uk)
Date: Thu Jun 12 2003 - 16:35:00 PDT

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    <riceat_private> wrote:
    
    > I'm starting to see some of my workstations getting a
    > suspicious file on the desktop with the filename ~.
    > Using a hex editor, you can see current email addresses
    > that mail has been sent to. Neither Norton or Sophos
    > detect a problem. Has anyone else seen this or have any
    > infomation about what this might be?
    
    This has been widely reported as a bug shipped in the recent OE 
    cumulative patch announced in MS03-014.  Apparently, instead of 
    making backup copies of the address book when entries are to be added 
    or removed to files named something like <username>.WA~ this copy 
    is made to a file named just ~.  In some cases -- I've not seen any 
    explanation of the precise circumstances -- this is either made the 
    desktop or a shortcut to it placed there (this confusion probably 
    arises from user reports not being very reliable in such matters).
    
    > All workstations are running win2k or winxp. Outlook
    > 2002 is the email app. Task manager on the afflicted
    > machines shows all the same processes of non-afflicted
    > machines.
    
    Is OE not able to be used at all on these machines?
    
    A search of Google Groups that turns up many related message threads 
    is:
    
       http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=tilde&safe=images&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_ugroup=*outlookexpress&lr=&num=100&hl=en
    
    (URL may wrap)
    
    
    -- 
    Nick FitzGerald
    Computer Virus Consulting Ltd.
    Ph/FAX: +64 3 3529854
    
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