[bd]

I'm not sure what is causing this but something I'm doing is putting an icon on my desktp occasionally that is named "~".

The properties are: type of file - file, name - ~, and location -
C:\Documents and Settings\bd\Desktop. Size 198k

I'm virus free according to Norton, It's not hurting anything, I just delete it. I'm running XP HE. Just curious any ideas?

bd:dunno:

[Sleepy]

I don't have XP, bd, but do you have a firewall installed? That sort of sounds as if someone is putting a program on your computer. I'm not really sure as I've never seen that before, but hopefully someone with XP will come along and answer your question. Sorry I couldn't be of more help but good luck getting rid of it! :eek:

[bd]

Thanks, Sandy, but I'm on a 56k dial up, I've never felt the need for a firewall, I mean I know I could be hacked but it seems very unlikely.

bd

[Mike Weber]

BD:
I've got the same icon on my desktop. I'm also running Windows XP and this icon appeared shortly after I installed The Spybot Search and Destroy program, I believe that this icon is somehow associated with this program if I try to dump it into the recycle bin it comes back. So far it seems harmless enough so I'm just leaving it there for now. According to the Spybot program my system is free of spyware and Norton doesn't detect any virus's on the system.

[Sleepy]

What is the file extension name? (.txt. .exe....) :dunno:

[Mike Weber]

Sandy:
When I open properties to look at the file extention where windows gives the file description ~ is all that shows with no info on a file extention such as .exe, .txt or such. Can't open the file either as windows says it can't open the file without knowing what program created it. Whenever I've tried to get rid of this file it always comes back. and its listed as being in the Owners documents and settings just as on BD's system. Have no idea what this file is?

[Sleepy]

:worry:

:D I Don't know what it is Mike. What happens if you uninstall spybot? Will it go away? See if you can rename it, and put it in .txt, then try opening it in notepad or word. Also, how big is the file? 198k?

[Mike Weber]

Sandy:
I'm glad that you mentioned this but what I found in converting this to a text file is starting to bother me. I went a bit further and broke it down some more and all of the contacts in my address book are contained within this file. Have no idea what the cyrillic text contains. I'm going to attempt to quaranteen this file and see what happens. It just occurred to me that I installed Spybot at about the same time that we were playing around on that animal rights forum. I don't know how this turned up on BD's system though as I don't think that he was there with us. I remember a thread over there, in which a bunch of the anti's were talking about downloading an ISP tracking software program from one of their commie friends in Russia. Here is a sample of some of the text in this file. œËË�uÒ‘X ÀOyV¤ d _ ¨ ¤ U Є ” D U Є Ü
�  Є  ä!
 Є P ´¦
T Є ˆ „+  U ô
 Þ
¤    À F €
3 2 8 5 4
€
3 2 8 5 5 €
3 2 8 5 6 €
3 2 8 5 7 €
3 2 8 1 2 €
3 2 8 1 3 €
3 2 8 1 4 €
3 2 8 0 2 �2„Á…в� ª <öv
€
3 2 7 6 9 €
3 2 7 7 0 €
3 2 7 7 1 €
3 2 7 7 2 €
3 2 7 7 3 €
3 2 7 7 4
€
3 2 7 7 5 €
3 2 7 7 6 €
3 2 7 7 7
€
3 2 7 7 8 à~_+«6Ñ›¬ _Éœ‹
€ M s g r I D I don't want to paste any more of it onto this board for fear of activating it here. I think that now that I've converted it to text that I can get rid of it. I'm going to try to get it quaranteened and if it works I'll suggest that BD do the same the Cyrillic characters lead me to believe that this is some sort of malicious program especially after seeing my address book contents contained within the file. BTW the file was 196k on my system.

[Mike Weber]

I just compressed the file into a zipped file then I drug the desktop icon into the recycle bin and emptied the recycle bin When I tried this prior to converting the file to text it wouldn't stay put it would pop right back onto the desktop. This time it seemed to work and I did the same with the compressed zipped file. From the looks of this file I think that it was one of those programs designed to allow a hacker to remote access your address book. I would strongly suggest that BD do the same with this file.

[Don45cal]

If it's on your desk top try and delete it.

A box should pop open stating that removing this icon will only remove the shortcut. If you want to delete the program click here.

Click there and wait for the box to open!!

Scroll through until this program is displayed then delete it!!

If the shortcut is still on the desk top delete that too!!

[Mike Weber]

Don :
With this one I had tried deleting the desktop icon and it would come back. The attributes said that it was located in Owner documents and settings desktop and I could find no other locations for backups of this file. After this last attempt this file did come back in its original form with the ~ filename and not in text format. What I did this time is convert it back to text format then went to EDIT, Select All and delete. I then dumped the desktop icon into the recycle bin and emptied the recycle bin. I'll be watching to see if this one shows up again. Couldn't get any information regarding this file in terms of what it is and where it came from when checking its properties. This sucker worked its way past a double firewall to get onto my system. Also I now doubt that this file is associated with Spybot Search and Destroy. All that the file properties would tell me was that this was a ~ file and apparently ~ is the file extention. I'm wondering if this is a known file extention in Russia? As much of the text appeared to be Russian Cyrillic. Where I picked this up I have no idea as I have no Russian files on my system to my knowledge. It never showed up in any of my spyware checkups or virus scans. It wasn't until Sandy suggested that I convert it to a text file that I discovered the contents of my address book within the file The Names and Email addresses were still in standard English format while the rest of the file was in Cyrillic and numeric script of some sort.

[Don45cal]

Wow Mike. This is strange. I get crap that attaches itself to my computer and I get rid of it like I described.

If that doesn't work I reset my computer to a previous date thus locking down the attached file. Kinda quarantines them.

I don't keep too much on my hard drive either. if it comes back I would back up all my work and purge my entire system!!

[bd]

Wow! this is more complicated than I thought! I haven't been to the forum you described so I'm not sure how I picked this thing up. I don't have Spy-bot but I do use Ad-aware. I had not emptied my recycle bin since getting thes "icons" and I had 3 copies of this file in there. I have emptied recycle and I'm gonna wait and see if this sucker comes back. I've searched google and jeeves and can find no reference to "~". I feel like if it was a real threat there would be some mention by now. I'm running the latest version of Norton Antivirus and update it weekly. This is an odd one.

bd

edited to add:
Whats really strange is I haven't received any email since 6/19 not a spam, not nothin'. That's very strange.......

[Old Soldier]

Originally posted by bd
Whats really strange is I haven't received any email since 6/19 not a spam, not nothin'. That's very strange.......

I can send you some of what I get if you like.:dunno: :lool: :lool: :lool: :lool:

[bd]

Originally posted by Old Soldier
I can send you some of what I get if you like.:dunno: :lool: :lool: :lool: :lool:

OS

Bless your heart for offering to share your spam with me. I can't think of too many folks who would do that.

I think my ISP must be having trouble because I dialed into my work computer and attempted to send myself an email and it hasn't come through also I tried going to my ISP's website to check my email remotely from there and it's down too so I guess maybe, hopefully that it's not my problem.


If there's anything I can ever do for you don't hesitate to ask...................................:neer:

bd

[bd]

Mike,

Check this out!

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/64507.html

I hope this is the answer!

bd

PS. thanks again Old Soldier, I'm STILL thinking about it!:OHNO:

THANKS A Bunch to Mike, Sandy and Don too!!!:wine:

[Old Soldier]

Originally posted by bd
OS

Bless your heart for offering to share your spam with me. I can't think of too many folks who would do that.

I think my ISP must be having trouble because I dialed into my work computer and attempted to send myself an email and it hasn't come through also I tried going to my ISP's website to check my email remotely from there and it's down too so I guess maybe, hopefully that it's not my problem.


If there's anything I can ever do for you don't hesitate to ask...................................:neer:

bd

:lool: :lool: :lool: :lool: :lool: :up: :up:

[Mike Weber]

Thanks for the link BD. I believe that the anwser to this thing was in that link and that it was one of those windows updates with a bug in it. Apparrently whatever I did last night got rid of this thing as when I went into control panel looking for this thing to remove it all traces of it were gone. It would also make sense because I had been automatically downloading updates from Microsoft.

[Don45cal]

Mike I do too! But I run internet eraser and adware.

[Mike Weber]

Don:
I've also got Adware on my system. This thing didn't show up as any sort of browser tracking software and as it turns out it was part of a Microsoft fix for Outlook express with a bug in it sure had a lot of strange looking characters in the text and I do believe that some of them were Russian cyrillic characters. That is what set me into high alert when I saw them. As a lot of the really destructive hacker scripts are originating in the old Com Bloc countries as well as a lot of Rip off ware type programs designed to take over computers steal account data install autodialers and so forth. I'm really glad that this turned out to be nothing more than a glitched up microsoft update.

[Sleepy]

Glad to hear everyone got rid of the mysterious icon and more so that it wasn't a virus or hacker! :wine:

[Don45cal]

I'll keep my eye's open for this. I am wireless so I am more at risk than most.

I just started a pop up blocker to keep out annoying stuff. Works OK so far. Did have a few get through. It is in it's triel stage called Stopzilla.

Anyone have a better program?

[Mike Weber]

I use a freeware called POPUP KILLER and I really like this one Its very effective and allows logging and building a database of blocked pop ups. Aslo has a kewl little lightening bolt icon that flashes and an explosion sound effect whenever it kills a popup I use Adware and Spybot Search and Destroy for tracking down and eliminating advertising and spyware programs from the system and I really like the Spybot Search and destroy. Havent been real impressed with Adware I've got the free version. ZoneAlarm is one of the firewalls that I use and it is a good one also available as freeware, And I've recently installed a Spam filtering program called Matador that seems to be a good one effectivly blocking the annoying Spammers. It also has a database for adding blocked spammers to the list. and is capable of sending a challenge on questionable email messages and always leaving you the option of blocking them of accepting their emails.

[Don45cal]

Thanks Mike. I will start checking these out!

[wendy]

Originally posted by bd
OS

Bless your heart for offering to share your spam with me. I can't think of too many folks who would do that.

If there's anything I can ever do for you don't hesitate to ask...................................:neer:

bd

well at least he didn't offer to fry up a can of Spam for you! :puke:

[bd]

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy

Fried Spam is good! Fried Spam, grilled Spam, Spam on a pizza, Spam samwich. I likes Spam! You should eat more too, it makes you feel good too. How long has it been since you've had a hunk of hot spam? Mouth waterin' yet?

bd:psycho:

[Old Soldier]

Originally posted by bd
Wendy, Wendy, Wendy

Fried Spam is good! Fried Spam, grilled Spam, Spam on a pizza, Spam samwich. I likes Spam! You should eat more too, it makes you feel good too. How long has it been since you've had a hunk of hot spam? Mouth waterin' yet?

bd:psycho: You can take your spam and Better not say that, family board you know. :punch: :punch: :OMG: :down: :down: :down: :down:

[wendy]

I am with OS! :down: :down: :down: to Spam!

[Old Soldier]

Originally posted by wendy
I am with OS! :down: :down: :down: to Spam!

me too:loveyes: :loveyes: :loveyes: :loveyes:

[bd]

Wendy and OS

Sorry if I struck a nerve!:neer:

bd

[Redrum]

Hey! Back off on the spam!!! It's good stuff!!! Much better than Scrapple!!!!!:up::up::up:

[bd]

Originally posted by Redrum
Hey! Back off on the spam!!! It's good stuff!!! Much better than Scrapple!!!!!:up::up::up:


I bet Wendy and OS are partial to "Treat" canned meat products!

bd:punch: