~ file ==> what is it?

Wrong!
-----Original Message-----
This is created by outlook express when you
send an email and is useless. can be deleted.


"rs" wrote in message
...
This may not be related to Win98 only, but I keep getting
a file called: ~
on my desktop. It is about 1.46M large and when looked
at in a text editor
makes no sense at all. I suspect it may be some type of
marketing tracking
thing? I have run adware and spybot on my computer and
have ZoneLabs with
anti-virus on.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it?
I delete it and
next
time I boot it pops back up. I am running 98SE.

Rick


.

-----Original Message-----
The bug is the result of a *patch* for OE; it causes the
temp copy of the address book to be saved in
arbitrary (but guessable) locations with the constant
file name of ~
Over a year later, this bug is still not fixed, though
now you can call MS and ask for a "hotfix" for it.
That's free, as long as you ensure you ask for NO other
support during the call!

I was seeing the Tilde on my desktop when I first
downloaded IE/OE6 around 2001/2002, although now I don't
get the tilde anymore for some reason.



-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
"If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
killed it myself" (PKD)
-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

You WILL get the tilde when a change is made to the "Contacts" in the
Address Book. And it won't necessarily go to the Desktop. It is a
"hidden" file, so "START, Settings, Folder Options, View tab", & check
"Show all files". May as well also uncheck "Hide file extensions".

It isn't very, very horrible, says PA Bear. (But he has one in his
signature, so... ???.). Anyway, with the advent of Q331923 (now
Q330994), 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. Also, the tilde file
has them listed as "Shared" as well as "Main Identity". I keep a close
eye on it, and delete them immediately. I lay the blame for this on
BEAR! (However, OK, there are many fine features to those Q's as well.)

It will go into various folders, depending upon how the Address Book was
invoked. And it is invoked invisibly, each time you "Reply to Sender".
If you open OE or AB from a shortcut, the ~ goes to C:\, unless you've
put a folder in the "Start in" field of the shortcut, in which case it
goes there. If you start AB from the IE "Mail" button, then the ~ goes
to the Desktop. (Putting "C:\Windows\Temp" into "Start in:" of my IE
shortcut does not change that one.) I still don't know how I ever got
one in "C:\Windows\Inf".

"START, Find, F/F, ~*.*". Where is your ~?


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

wrote in message
...
|
| -----Original Message-----
| The bug is the result of a *patch* for OE; it causes the
| temp copy of the address book to be saved in
| arbitrary (but guessable) locations with the constant
| file name of ~
| Over a year later, this bug is still not fixed, though
| now you can call MS and ask for a "hotfix" for it.
| That's free, as long as you ensure you ask for NO other
| support during the call!
|
| I was seeing the Tilde on my desktop when I first
| downloaded IE/OE6 around 2001/2002, although now I don't
| get the tilde anymore for some reason.
|
|
|
| -------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
| "If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
| killed it myself" (PKD)
| -------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
|

PCR wrote:
You WILL get the tilde when a change is made to the "Contacts" in the
Address Book. And it won't necessarily go to the Desktop. It is a
"hidden" file, so "START, Settings, Folder Options, View tab", & check
"Show all files". May as well also uncheck "Hide file extensions".

It isn't very, very horrible, says PA Bear....

It IS very horrible, and I'm keeping it out of my den!

Well then, to make this even more technically correct, I guess the way to
state this is:
For a *patch* made to OE 6. But it still only applies to OE 6 (and IE 6),
which is what (I believe) I said.

Oh - and as for lack of reading ability, Almost Bob, can you be more
specific? I think I was correct in what I said. If I wasn't, please
correct me here - with the facts.


cquirke (MVP Win9x) wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 19:03:46 -0300, "AlmostBob"

No it is not OS dependent, the bug is part of outlook express 6 and is in
all
version of windows using outlook express

The bug is the result of a *patch* for OE; it causes the temp copy of
the address book to be saved in arbitrary (but guessable) locations
with the constant file name of ~

Over a year later, this bug is still not fixed, though now you can
call MS and ask for a "hotfix" for it. That's free, as long as you
ensure you ask for NO other support during the call!

The bug is NOT totally harmless, as it exposes the address book (hullo
spam, hullo malware) to easier access than would be the case if the
temp file was located and named properly.

So it's a poor comment on the patching process, that this issue
remains at large over a year later.



-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
"If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
killed it myself" (PKD)
-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 13:36:15 -0600, "Bill in Co."
wrote:

I read the MS article, and I've read what's been posted here in this
newgroup about this over the last few months. So what are you reading?
Or is it that I am somehow special, and "just" (by luck), don't have that
tilde? But I also don't add a lot of security updates - maybe that's
you're referring to. Well, I guess we all have our obsessions..

I don't use OE6 but my wife does, along with the address book.
I only install critical MS updates on her system. Neither of us
have ~'s on the desktop.

BoB

Yeah, but my point was you wouldn't get that tilde UNLESS you had IE/OE 6.
But maybe some people with OE 6 have lucked out. With IE 5.5 and below,
it's a non issue.

BoB wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 13:36:15 -0600, "Bill in Co."
wrote:

I read the MS article, and I've read what's been posted here in this
newgroup about this over the last few months. So what are you reading?
Or is it that I am somehow special, and "just" (by luck), don't have that
tilde? But I also don't add a lot of security updates - maybe that's
you're referring to. Well, I guess we all have our obsessions..

I don't use OE6 but my wife does, along with the address book.
I only install critical MS updates on her system. Neither of us
have ~'s on the desktop.

BoB

This is what frustrates me about Microsoft. Why does it take forever to get
patches for bugs -- even critical ones -- I will not bother to put up the
eeye.com website with the upcoming advisories again but XP has one low level
error still and the NT code overall suffers from a medium level security
error.

"cquirke (MVP Win9x)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 19:03:46 -0300, "AlmostBob"

No it is not OS dependent, the bug is part of outlook express 6 and is in
all
version of windows using outlook express

The bug is the result of a *patch* for OE; it causes the temp copy of
the address book to be saved in arbitrary (but guessable) locations
with the constant file name of ~

Over a year later, this bug is still not fixed, though now you can
call MS and ask for a "hotfix" for it. That's free, as long as you
ensure you ask for NO other support during the call!

The bug is NOT totally harmless, as it exposes the address book (hullo
spam, hullo malware) to easier access than would be the case if the
temp file was located and named properly.

So it's a poor comment on the patching process, that this issue
remains at large over a year later.



-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
"If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
killed it myself" (PKD)
-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 18:31:58 -0600, "Bill in Co."
wrote:

Yeah, but my point was you wouldn't get that tilde UNLESS you had IE/OE 6.
But maybe some people with OE 6 have lucked out. With IE 5.5 and below,
it's a non issue.

You've lost me. As I said originally, we both 'have' IE/OE6.

My wife has and uses both IE6 and OE6 and the address book. I
have and use IE6 and have but don't use OE6.

There is an additional requirement before you are bugged with ~.
Q331923/Q330994 must be applied and I learned about the ~ problem
soon enough so did not apply the patch to her system. I did apply
it to my system, where I test patches prior to installing them on
her machine, but since I only use IE6 and not OE6, neither of us
have the ~ problem.

BoB

BoB wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 13:36:15 -0600, "Bill in Co."
wrote:

I read the MS article, and I've read what's been posted here in this
newgroup about this over the last few months. So what are you reading?
Or is it that I am somehow special, and "just" (by luck), don't have that
tilde? But I also don't add a lot of security updates - maybe that's
you're referring to. Well, I guess we all have our obsessions..

I don't use OE6 but my wife does, along with the address book.
I only install critical MS updates on her system. Neither of us
have ~'s on the desktop.

BoB

PA Bear breeds them in his Antarctic cave. That is how they develop
their curvature, from his twisting/turning during a hibernation! I tell
you, Colorado, he SWEARS they are harmless! Go on & take IE6 SP1, and
get it fully updated! He will put one in the package for you. It's OK.
Once you discover where yours is going, it is safe to delete it. Once, I
even replaced my Default.wa~ with one of them. That is the backup which
some say the tilde file is supposed to be.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Bill in Co." wrote in message
...
| PCR wrote:
| You WILL get the tilde when a change is made to the "Contacts" in
the
| Address Book. And it won't necessarily go to the Desktop. It is a
| "hidden" file, so "START, Settings, Folder Options, View tab", &
check
| "Show all files". May as well also uncheck "Hide file extensions".
|
| It isn't very, very horrible, says PA Bear....
|
| It IS very horrible, and I'm keeping it out of my den!
|
|