Scanning for Viruses

[Lilac]

Hello, Lilac here!
This is in response to Steve's/bboy_mn email about viruses on the Movie list, which I've attached to the bottom of this post.  The following is an email that my husband wrote off-list to a friend after she was receiving the infamous "jammingjerry" post reply. Many of you probably know how to handle viruses, but just in case you don't (like me), here's a quick run-down...
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Whenever you get a suspicious email it is a good thing to question the safety of that email. First step, of course, is to not open it and the second step is to delete it. The problem with some viruses: they look legitimate.  
I suggest that you scan your computer for viruses.  We go to www.antivirus.com and choose the free online scan.  This will scan for all known viruses and clean them where possible.  If you have a dialup modem, it will take a while - the website has to download the virus pattern files so it knows what to look for.  Then it has to scan EVERY file on your computer.  When I use my dialup, I usually plan an hour for this whole process to take place [download pattern files and scan for the viruses themselves] it CAN take longer.  DSL/Cable takes about 20-30 minutes. 
The best thing to do, if you suspect that you have just been infected, is to NOT turn off your computer, and then scan for viruses.  If you have already shutdown your computer and restarted later - all is not lost, just takes a little more time to clean the mess up [if any]. 
One more thing to consider, there is a feature with some internet providers that will disconnet you if you are not actively changing web pages for a preset time [idle time out].  To resolve this, open up a second browser and refresh that every now and then. I usually refresh my browser every twenty minutes. I suggest a second browser because some websites will stop what ever it is doing and go to its home page if you refresh it [this REALLY SUCKS if you are doing an online test, or scanning your system for viruses and HAVE to start over- arrrggghhh!] 
Anyway, I hope that your system is not infected and that the reply was accurate.  Scanning for viruses is a very good habit to get into. If you surf alot or get alot of email I suggest that you get an antivirus program and run it while online [you may turn it off while off line] if you occasionally surf, or read email - once a month or once a week scanning is usually sufficient. 
 
Just thought you ought to know [Quirrel after informing the whole school of a troll in the dungeon, oh yeah - you already knew that....] 
:) See you, 
Robert. 
a wannabeabletocatchuptomywife Harry Potter fan. 

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<Laughing at that last comment> Dream on, babe!

~Lilac~

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<<<bboy_mn:

One of two things-
1.) Jamminjerry is alive an well, he posted to this Yahoo group today,
but the email address he is using is jamminjerry at G... and not
jamminjerry at M.... 

So somehow emails are still going to his old address and the server at
that address is replying to the ENTIRE Yahoo group email list instead
of replying to the orginal sender which would be the Group itself.

2.) and this one is definitely true, someone in this group has either
the Klez or Bugbear virus on their computer and it is sending out
emails to Yahoo addresses amoung others and they are getting bounced
back to the group.

If you are getting a lot or even a few emails returned as undelivered,
that you are pretty sure you never sent, then you probably have this
virus and need to do something about it before you drive the rest of
us nuts.

Here is a little tip for testing those unusual email you get
sometimes. (Frequently, I get emails that are completely blank.) Most
email programs will let you view the 'source' of the file. By source,
I don't mean where it originated but the source text; the raw
unformated text complete with Headers and all that other confusing 
stuff. 

If you get and email that doesn't have an attachment, but had a huge
block of random characters at the end when viewing the 'source text',
then that email has a virus.

Sorry, I know Email/Virus tip are way off topic, but if it leads the
person who has the virus on their computer to finding it, then it
saves us all a lot of headaches.

just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn

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"Professor, can you show me that blocking thing again?"

Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder.  "Just do what I did, Harry!"

"What, drop my wand?"

 --Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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