Virus Solution???

Subject: Virus Solution???
From: Banjer
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 07:37 PM

I just received the following from a friend of mine in e-mail. Seems like a neat solution. If it has been offered here before I apologize for the duplication.

The following will not stop your PC from being infected with a virus, but it will stop it spreading to your friends and business associates.
Most viruses spread by automatically emailing itself to ALL contacts in the address book of the infected PC. By following the below method it will save you from the embarrassing situation of having to tell all your friends and associates that you may have inadvertently mailed them a virus.

The method:

In your address book add a contact as just AAAAAA. This will make it the first address in your address book. Do not give it an email address.

If you do get infected with a virus, when it tries to forward itself to all in your address book, you will receive an error message "The message could not be sent. One or more recipients do not have an email address"

Simply go to your outbox and delete the message. You then only have to worry about cleaning up your own PC.

If you forward this message to all your contacts then the chances of them sending you are a virus will also be reduced.

Tom Bennett

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 07:40 PM

If you forward this message to all your contacts then the chances of them sending you are a virus will also be reduced

Oh dear.

Jon

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: wildlone
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 07:44 PM

I find that if I ever get emails with attachments I delete them, and email the person back and ask what it was they sent.
I allways send an email before sending any attachments .
dave

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: kendall
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 09:43 PM

I cant send this AAAA thing. Without an email address, it wont go out.

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: SeanM
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 12:49 AM

That's actually a rather interesting solution, if you're on an email program that will only send if all addresses are valid. I'd suggest testing it with an email to yourself and your 'phantom' address. If it works, then you can't use that as a safety check. If it bounces and won't send at all, it's a line of defense against furthering the virii.

Just make sure you have antiviral programs to begin with. Some viruses send to selections from your list. Some send to the first 10. Some to the last. A lot just leave your computer lying open whenever you're on the web to anyone with the counterpart program.

But it's still a neat system. Kudos to those who've come up with it, if it works.

M

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:08 AM

Sean read this.

Jon

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: SeanM
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 03:54 AM

LOL... figures. Well, snopes beat me to it, with a much more detailed version of what I said. Suckered me in, hook line and sinker, I guess.

Still, get the AV. It's worth the $20.

M

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: kendall
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 04:15 AM

These anti-virus programs are like encyclopaedias, they are obsolete the day you install them. Who are these bastards who come up with these vicious diseases?

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 04:51 AM

Well, Kendall, most of the reputable antivirus programs issue updates once or twice a month. My Norton Antivirus has free updates for a year, and $3.95 a year after that. It takes only a couple of minutes to download and install the update, and the process is almost completely automatic.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: Louie Roy
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 09:56 AM

This solution works great there is only one thing that you need to know if you are in the habit of sending or forwarding email to all in your address book then with this set up you can't for it stops at the 0000 or the aaaa just the same as a virus try it Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 10:33 AM

Louie Roy, that is just one other potential problem with the solution. If you read the stuff in the link I gave, you will find that there are rather more potential problems.

I was suspicious to start off with and did a search rather than try to work it out. I have not got as much experience as some on the internet but I have been going about 4 years and that in my experience, it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that anything that suggests you foward a message to all people in your address book will really do anything.

Please people wake up - when you see that sort of message do a little investigation first.

Jon

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 12:58 PM

Norton does download updates automatically if you set it that way, and you get to choose how often, too. That means that when a new widespread virus is found and a cure is designed, you get it right away. I'm set on weekly downloads followed by weekly scans with the new cures. It's also a good reminder to me, when it leaves me that all-clear message, to do some other routine system maintenance-- file cleanups, cache-clearing, archiving messages, etc.

~S~

Subject: RE: Virus Solution???
From: wildlone
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:45 PM

If you do not have an anti virus program this is the one I use.
It is free for home users. click
dave