Strange Preference file folders

When opening photoshop CS2 these empty folders with name configurations like: " ›¥¿êi®øˇfi¿†}O&#768 ;|êkÿê~êø&#711 ;fl ßòqT", appear periodically in my ~/library/preferences.

It seems 4 empty folders are created whenever I launch photoshop. Someone mentioned it happened to them once they installed and used a scanner. That is similar to my situation only now these strange files appear on just launching photoshop.

They seem harmless enough, just wondering what they could be. Thanks.

Yes, those folders are indeed created by a scanner driver, usually an Epson one. You don't even have to use the scanner for the files to be created.

You can just ignore them, delete them, or disable the scanner's TWAIN plug-in by typing a tilde (~) in front of the name of your Photoshop TWAIN folder.

Then simply scan outside Photoshop using your scanner's stand-alone software or a utility like VueScan or SilverFast. That way you can continue to work in Photoshop while the scanning is being done by the scanner.

Thank you! Yes I was using an epson printer at a new place I was working and they started appearing there on my laptop. Do you happen to know what they are or why they are created?

Thanks again.

Do you happen to know … why they are created?

Imperfectly written scanner driver. Just a quirk.

Thanks so much, very helpful.