.Net Framework Icon in Add/Remove Programs

[BadWiscoJ]

I am an IT specialist and I came across something at work that I have never seen or heard of before. In the person's computer I was working on I noticed that the .Net Framework 1.1 - 3.5 in Add/Remove Programs has an Owl icon next to the entries. Every other computer I've seen has the computer with a CD icon next to the .Net Framework entries. Has anyone ever seen this owl before? Is it a virus or something?

[cobeal]

Don't know. Am looking into this myself and this is the only place I have seen reference to it so far.
It popped up on my computer a couple of weeks ago and in fact I closed and reopened the add/remove programs and it disappeared. I thought it was an anomoly but today it is back and there are more entries with the BLACK OWL WITH BUG EYES on not only the .NET but the C++ entries and the Microsoft User-Mode Driver Framework Feature Pack 1.0 as well.
It is probable that I will not return to this forum as it is not something I have used in the past and I am only interested in info about this problem.

HOWEVER, IF I DO FIND AN ANSWER I WILL POST if you find an answer and post, it would be greatly appreciated if you would send an email to let me know you have a resolution posted.

JNKMAIL 222 AT 222 VOLCANOMAIL 222 DOT 222 COM WITH NO NUMERALS AND written like a normal email address with @ and .

[BadWiscoJ]

We found out, after multiple reinstalls and trial and error, that the owl icons had something to do with the HP driver disc and/or the HP version of Microsoft Works that was loaded onto the computer.

The fix was to reinstall the OS and go out to the manufacturer's websites for the drivers. Hope this helps.

[cobeal]

Well....
Thanks for that info.
Only caught it because I found my own answer and was returning to post the following:

I was so disturbed by seeing this icon apparently spreading like a disease that I started using logic to figure out where it came from.

After some searching I came up with
http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/ar...09/178342.aspx

That link discusses how Windows guesses at creating an icon in the Add/Remove programs uninstall when the programmer fails to specify an icon. Shame on Microsoft for the 10,000,000,000th or so time for failing to follow best programming practices as recommended by them. When I worked for a software developer they were always forcing us to adhere to their recommendations or face dire consequences and then dropping programs like baby bunnies that violated those same rules.

After discovering the technique it was still not obvious so I did a disk wide search on *.ico , *.exe, and *.dll and discovered the little dark OWL icon is associated with the MSWORKS installation file MSWORKST.EXE on my system. Apparently Windows decided to use the vague match of Microsoft in the display name and ferreted out this little icon. It began to appear in many different installs. I had about 10 of them and it was a scary sight.

So it looks pretty evil when it shows up in Add/Remove but according to all the scans I have done, it is just what it says it is.

Thanks again for taking the time to fill me in.