In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you won't see
any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in spam
when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your risk is
minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week or so. It checks
for any Malware you may have picked up, usually from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you won't see
any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in spam
when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your risk is
minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week or so. It checks
for any Malware you may have picked up, usually from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

Thanks for that, Bruce. I already have Malwarebytes installed, plus
AVG Free, and have also blocked images from appearing, so I guess I am
pretty-much covered. Still, if I do not recognise the sender of an
email, I always `save to desktop` and scan with AVG, just in case, and
all emails with attachments get scanned, regardless of who they`re
from (I didn`t install AVG`s automatic Email Scanner - too
disruptive). But, then, I don`t get a lot of emails, so it`s not a
big chore. Incidentally, do you know if can .pdf files be infected?

Thanks again
Kate

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week
or so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually
from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

Thanks for that, Bruce. I already have Malwarebytes installed, plus
AVG Free, and have also blocked images from appearing, so I guess I am
pretty-much covered. Still, if I do not recognise the sender of an
email, I always `save to desktop` and scan with AVG, just in case, and
all emails with attachments get scanned, regardless of who they`re
from (I didn`t install AVG`s automatic Email Scanner - too
disruptive). But, then, I don`t get a lot of emails, so it`s not a
big chore. Incidentally, do you know if can .pdf files be infected?

Thanks again
Kate

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week
or so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually
from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

You seem to have everything under control. AFA pdf files, I suppose it is
possible, but I have not run across it in these newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
Thanks for that, Bruce. I already have Malwarebytes installed, plus
AVG Free, and have also blocked images from appearing, so I guess I am
pretty-much covered. Still, if I do not recognise the sender of an
email, I always `save to desktop` and scan with AVG, just in case, and
all emails with attachments get scanned, regardless of who they`re
from (I didn`t install AVG`s automatic Email Scanner - too
disruptive). But, then, I don`t get a lot of emails, so it`s not a
big chore. Incidentally, do you know if can .pdf files be infected?

Thanks again
Kate

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week
or so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually
from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

You seem to have everything under control. AFA pdf files, I suppose it is
possible, but I have not run across it in these newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
Thanks for that, Bruce. I already have Malwarebytes installed, plus
AVG Free, and have also blocked images from appearing, so I guess I am
pretty-much covered. Still, if I do not recognise the sender of an
email, I always `save to desktop` and scan with AVG, just in case, and
all emails with attachments get scanned, regardless of who they`re
from (I didn`t install AVG`s automatic Email Scanner - too
disruptive). But, then, I don`t get a lot of emails, so it`s not a
big chore. Incidentally, do you know if can .pdf files be infected?

Thanks again
Kate

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week
or so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually
from a Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

Make sure that OE is set to run in the Restricted Zone, which is the
default. This is set at Tools, Options, Security.

The restricted zone disables the potentially dangerous parts of HTML
(Scripting and ActiveX).

--

Mike - http://TechHelp.Santovec.us



"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week or
so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually from a
Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

Make sure that OE is set to run in the Restricted Zone, which is the
default. This is set at Tools, Options, Security.

The restricted zone disables the potentially dangerous parts of HTML
(Scripting and ActiveX).

--

Mike - http://TechHelp.Santovec.us



"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I don't agree with that 100% It is attachments and links that are the
culprits 99.99% of the time.

Tools | Options | Read. Check: Read messages in plain text and you
won't see any HTML.

Tools | Options | Security. "Block images........." stops SpyBots in
spam when reading in HTML. (Not a virus).

With all that said, if you have a decent up-to-date AV program, your
risk is minimal. This is a good program to keep and run once a week or
so. It checks for any Malware you may have picked up, usually from a
Website.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.40
http://www.download.com/Malwarebytes...-10804572.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Kate" wrote in message
...
In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I
tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

Kate wrote:

In the ms.public.windowsxp.help_and_support NG, a reply to a query
mentioned that just opening an HTML-formatted email that contains
malicious software can be enough to infect a computer. How can I tell
if an email is formatted in this way when it arrives in my Inbox,
please? Is it obvious?

Thanks
Kate

There are lots of users that keep spewing out "info" that is outdated by
many years. Development for OE stopped way back in 2002 (with one change in
SP-2 Windows XP). The "info" this boob recited is older than that (I saw
their reply and rolled my eyes).

If you render HTML-formatted e-mails under the Restricted Sites security
zone (the default) and if the Restricted Sites security zone is at its
default settings (or higher) than nasties, like scripts, inside of
HTML-formatted e-mails cannot run.

That does not address the possibly of web beacons that can be used to track
that an e-mail got opened, the IP address that opened it, when it got
opened, how many times it was opened, etc. OE, by default, will block
external links, like to image or sound files that can be used as web
beacons.

Under the default setup of OE (render HTML under Restricted Security zone
and block external content), the remaining danger is what *YOU* do with the
e-mail. Clicking on links in HTML e-mails (which may go to somewhere else
than they show) or extracting attachments are actions you commit and you are
responsible for. No e-mail client can overcome the users commitment to
ignorantly or deliberately hurt themself.

In OE, hover the mouse pointer over a URL link and check the status bar to
see where that link really goes. Don't accept e-mails or extract files from
them them when sent by an unknown sender (or anyone if you don't need that
file and/or weren't expecting it, and even then you should be scanning it
and perhaps even testing it, if an executable, inside a virtual machine).

There have been exploits in image file formats to proliferate malware but
that is not the fault of the e-mail client. The image rendering is
performed by image libraries back in the OS. Those have happened, got
closed, but could possibly happen again. You could configure OE to always
read your e-mails in plain-text mode if you are paranoid. Fact is, most
e-mails have no reason for using HTML format as their content is just text.
Those that splatter graphics all over inside their e-mails are using
distraction to hide that they haven't much content. Like greeting cards
with pictures, borders, glitter, and other garbage, they have very little to
actually say.