Granny Annie's corollary:

Do NOT install Windows XP on an older computer unless you have enough
remaining disk space (after WinXP hogs it all) to download & install the
patches (lots of them) for WinXP. (In my case, a Dell L550r with a 4 gig
hard drive purchased in March 2000; upgraded memory just gave me a sense of
false security.)

BTW, that trick about putting 000 or !!! as the first entry in your email
address book may save the other folks in your address book from getting bad
emails from "your email address" but it will not help you at all, as far as
I can tell.

Anne Lurie (ready to go back to pencil & paper)
Raleigh, NC







"dkat" wrote in message
. net...
MICROSOFT NEVER EVER SENDS PATCHES or any attachment by EMAIL!

RETURNED MESSAGES FROM YOUR SERVER ARE NOT EXECUTABLES!

Not so long ago I defended those that opened enclosures of some of the
current email messaged viruses because they had been cleverly done. I
take
it all back. I am getting so many of these suckers mailed to me on a
daily
basis that my mailbox is useless. I don't have any viruses but I'm
suffering the consequences of those that don't know enough not to have
them.

There really is no reason for anyone to have a virus on their computer.
Even in the case with the virus that came in via being connected to the
net
without needing to be opened was preventable if you just did proper
maintenance and upgrading on your OS.

EVERYONE should know by now not to open attachment in email files unless
you
know exactly what they are. Knowing who they are from does not count for
beans since for years now the way most email viruses work is that they
take
the addresses in your book (if you open the bloody attachment in the first
place fool) and send out the virus you have just put on your machine (by
opening the bloody attachment idiot) to everyone in your address book.

I just find it impossible to believe that anyone at this point would open
an
attachment. At the very least save the attachment and check it with a
virus
checker (and make sure your virus software is up to date). You should
know
enough about computers to know to right click the item and see if it is an
executable file (.exe, .com, .bat ...). If you have your computer where
it
hides those extensions, UNHIDE them.

http://www.symantec.com/ Go to this site on a regular basis and learn what
to watch for.
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp (win2K) is where you
get upgrades.

Sorry but I'm Really ticked off.

DKat