PHP inside code problem

hi there --------------------------------------------- if ($act = "add") //Add the message... { if (!empty($user_name) && !empty($user_ip) && !empty($user_message) && !empty($user_sex)) { if (!($html_support)) { $user_message = htmlspecialchars("$user_message"); } $user_message = ereg_replace("\n","<br>","$user_message"); $userinfo = "$user_name§§$user_sex§§$user_ip§§$user_message§§$user_date"."\n"; $fp = fopen("$filename",'a'); flock($fp,2); fwrite($fp, $userinfo); flock($fp,1); fclose($fp); header("Location: index.php"); setcookie("cuser",$user_name,time()+(3600*24*365),"/","$SERVER_NAME"); exit; } } --------------------------------------------- The code above is what I use for processing messages.... Everytime when I'm trying to use the function, htmlspecialchars(), it'll replace " with &quot; . After that, I save the data and print out again, the result will add "\" after the data... ( I don't want the extra "\") There is an example. When I try to type in ^^" to be my new message, it suppose to show the same thing. However, in the saved data, it shows §§^^\&quot; (§§ is what I use to different from different filez) I don't want the extra "\".... however, I tried the way in below: I use $user_message = eregi_replace("<","&lt;","$user_message"); $user_message = eregi_replace(">","&gt;","$user_message"); instead of the original one which is $user_message = htmlspecialchars("$user_message"); however, when I check the saved file, it still have and extra \ before the characters " . god damn it.... I run this code in windows98SR2, maybe it's micro$oft's problem, is it? plz help me.....thx dudes ....nick