Multiple desktop.ini files on desktop 1

[harebrain]

All of a sudden my desktop has a couple of desktop.ini files on it. Same name, and when I open the properties, hidden is checked, but they obviously aren't.

How can there be more than one with the same name? Why did they show themselves? Virus?

 

[GrimR]

There is a desktop.ini virus going around.
If you have show hidden files and folders checked then they wont be hidden.

 

[harebrain]

>If you have show hidden files and folders checked then they wont be hidden.

...not a problem.

But thanks for the heads-up about the virus. Googled and found info on Redlof. I've been using a public WAP and noticed attempts to access my machine; something must have made a connection. (That's the end of that WAP for me!)

 

[linney]

From time to time Desktop.ini files may appear on the Desktop, and may appear as a pair, despite having the same name. I see it more as a bug in Vista rather than any suspicious action. I guess that the multiple naming can only be created by the System User, because I cannot manually duplicate that behavior, probably it is because you have these Icons in both the Users Desktop folder and any All Users or Default User equivalent folder?. I see it more often than not after installing programs or updates. In any case I just delete the Desktop.ini and continue on.

http://www.google.com/search?q="desktop.ini"+desktop+vista&rls=com.microsoft:

 

[harebrain]

Thanks, linney. I began to discount the Redlof virus theory when I did some research: it appeared five years ago and uses Outlook/Outlook Express as a vector, neither of which we use in Vista. And I'm running Zone Alarm and its antivirus, so I think I'll do a full scan and probably chalk it up to a botched Vista auto-update that happenned recently.