# Strange file on my desktop - ~

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-file-on-my-desktop/195250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 14, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-file-on-my-desktop/195250 "2003-08-14T21:57:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-file-on-my-desktop/195250/1 "2003-08-14T21:57:02Z")

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Yesterday, I noticed a strange file on my desktop. It seems to be some kind of a system file, I can not open it. The file name is this: ~ .

The only information I can get from properties is the file size.

A search on files named ~ shows 3 files with this name, located in

C/Documents and Settings/(my user name) (180kb)  
C/Documents and Settings/(my user name)/Desktop (175kb)  
C/Programs/Outlook Express (172kb)

Any idea what this file could be and if I can safely delete the one on my desktop?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-file-on-my-desktop/195250/2 "2003-08-14T22:11:18Z")

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Lately I have been getting it too when I mess with the Adress Book and I believe it is a backup (or temp backup) of the Address Book and can be safely deleted. At least I have just been deleting it and found no problems yet . I have also found it in folders other than the desktop.