Outlook creating files on HDD for each message

[cameramonkey]

We have found something really odd on two of our PCs.

Both running outlook 2003, using a standard POP/SMTP server.

Out of the blue, they notice a series of files on the root of the C: drive. they appear as sequential files, like s2bk.1 s2bk.2, s2bk.3, s2bl.1, etc. some are text files.

When you open the text files, they are copies of emails from the user's inbox, including the full header info. So it appears that outlook is making a copy of each message outside the PST file.

Any ideas what causes this and how to remedy it?

 

[58sniper]

That's not likely Outlook doing that. Either some third party app plugin is doing it, or some virus/malware/spyware is doing it.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt