I ahve been told that to counter a virus that sends itself to all the addresses in your mail box, you make the first address an invalid one then the virus stops there. It sounds logical Mr. Spock, but is it true?

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Answers

Answers Please, I would hate to be "Galaxied", and please no "swifties" otherwise you will be "gussed" and "Raphaeled"

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Sounds like an urban myth to me....I seriously doubt that mate...

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

So do I, however this has been put around by someone I know and he is generally on the ball.

I cannot see how the virus will only attach on one address at a time and I know that if my machine is sending mail it will send all of them then report back that an address is not receiving.

Therefore I have come to ask where I know I will get the right answer. Knowing some on here I hope I pick the right one!!!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Mate i'm positive that can't be true, most of these address book virus's fire out e-mail to all addresses in the address book, they don't validate them to see if they're correct :))

If however it were true then it'd only be for a certain strain of virus...others would work around it....seriously, don't rely on that for a second!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

so... a virus programmer would write code to stop after an error?? errr no! I can't even be bothered to put checking in my code ;-)))

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

I agreee with Gav (well, somebody has to once in a while). Gus, another option would be to bin Outlook and use another e-mail system like Lotus Notes! Of course, one of these days, a virus coder will write one which uses the Notes address book :-(

Geordie - shame on you!!!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Howay man Screach.. we've got to keep testers and service in jobs you know!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

So that's how you get your "kicks"???

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

And I thank you very much Geordie :))

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

I was thinking of you when I wrote that Gav!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

hehe :))

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

I don't know of any 'address book' virus that can be spread other than as an attachment to an e-mail. Just make sure you're dead wary about opening e-mails, but more importantly, attachments. If you're not abosolutely sure, just delete without even looking at the e-mail let alone the attachment. Even if you've opened the e-mail, you should still be ok, it's the attachment that does the damage, so as long as you don't open that, no sweat

If it was genuine anyway, and not a virus spreader, the sender will squeal at you somehow to read your e-mail, but better safe than sorry, I'd say, and it's not that much of an inconvenience.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Almost there PB...make certain you don't have PREVIEW open if you're using any type of Outlook cos there is a security hole in it, there is a patch available if you can be bothered to look :))

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Do you know Gav, that was probably the most important bit of advice you have ever given me about computers. Because my computer had always been set up to `preview`, I didn`t even know there was an option. It has certainly made a big difference to my security! (:o)

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Thanks Gav, well spotted. Never occurred to me cos I never ever preview anyway, but a timely reminder.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Is it also true that you can't get a girl pregnant if she's standing on her head?

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

.....no, but it's more of a challenge!

Back on topic, I've recently started using Outlook Express on my laptop. I can't find any reference to "Preview" mode - don't know whether I'm usiing it or not. Can anyone help?

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Outlook Express is a cut down version of Outlook and doesn't have the bells and whistles Outlook does, one of which must be Preview, cos I can't find any trace of it either.

Count your blessings I'd say, Clarky.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

As I said earlier, I don't use Bill's s/w - well, apart from Windows :-( but I did find a copy of Outlook Express on my machine (wonder where that came from). If you go to View then Layout, there's a place to define "Preview".

The Preview pane is displayed either below the inbox window or to it's right. If you don't enable it, you just get a window with your inbox.

Best to check.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Clarky, I believe you will find it by opening Mailbox - click on VIEW - click on LAYOUT, and make sure that the box at the bottom which says `show preview pane` is NOT ticked.

Somebody please confirm that I have just given Clarky the correct advice! On second thoughts Clarky, wait till you receive instructions from someone who know what they are doing! (:o)

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Bliddy hell, what a bunch of anoraks. :-))

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Ooh Pit Bill......that`s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!! (about computers anyway (;o)

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Glad you liked it Gal, but it was meant as a bit of a pet lip cos I showed meself up not to be the clever sh1t I thought I was. :-))

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Divvent fret Pit Bill - I still think you're a clever sh*t!! ;0{))

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Just so you all know I have installed Nortons A/V package and turned off my preview feature after I was sent a virus by someone on here, they claim it was not their fault and you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This topic came up as we were discussing the latest virus attack.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Gus - did you see my post about my recent installation of "Norton Firewall"?

In truth, I wasn't sure it was really necessary. However, at the last count, in the 5 weeks or so since I installed it it has blocked eleven attempts by various 'others' to hack into my system and plant different types of Trojan - which I understand can extract information from your PC.

I've been utterly gob-smacked at realising how vulnerable my system was. It is not expensive - £17 I think - and might be worth considering.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

....... make that 12 attempts. Just had another!

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Yes I did clarky, I was looking at the Norton package with Firewall and A/V package in one for home. It is a loy more over here, 17 quid is about A$51. It costs about A$140 or 47quid

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Ok, I'll be the cyberplank on this one....Does software bought in one country work on computers in another? In Gus' case it sounds like it's worth having someone in the UK buy and ship it. Still must work out cheaper than the Aussie dollar price. I'm also curious because I've considered buying software(FIFA200, for example) in the UK in the past, but wasn't sure I could use it here.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Yes it will ciara, as long as it works on the same type of puter O/S. If it works on an IBM in one country it will anywhere.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

You can probably buy software from the UK over the internet and get it shipped abroad surely.

I get loads of DVD's from Canada and they work out cheaper than over here, as well as being out up to six months earlier.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Cool!

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001