Delete from Server; Do not download from Server

Thank you for your response....

1. If "Plain text email cannot infect you just by looking at it", why were
we always warned to be careful about opening suspicious emails? I once read
(a long time ago) that viewing the email in the preview pane was just as
dangerous as opening it......

2. Where is this "access on/off" that I would have to toggle?


"Touch Base" wrote:


"Janetb" wrote in message ...

| 1. If I view my letters in the Preview pane, does that leave me open to
| infection if I don't have my AV scan emails? I understand such viewing is
| tantamount to opening, but perhaps just viv-a-vis the message and not the
| attachment.

Plain text email cannot infect you just by looking at it. HTML Mail will not infect you just by looking at it, if you are running a current version of Outlook or Outlook Express and have your settings set to block images and attachments, and keep any version of the two up to date with the latest patches.

| 2. If MSOE default does not allow access to attachments, how can I see the
| many legit attachments I get?
|

You would have to toggle the access on/off as required. Then just click on another email and then click back on the one you want to look at with the attachment and it will be accessible or not as required.

--
Touch Base
Post back here on the result- good or bad

Thanks for the response....

1. Many of my messages need to be at least skimmed if not read before
deciding whether to delete. Also, the view pane makes it very easy to skim
thru a long list of emails quickly---I just use the keyboard arrows. I really
like that feature and would not want to give it up....

2. Are viruses only in attachments??

"DGuess" wrote:


"Janetb" wrote in message
...
1. If I view my letters in the Preview pane, does that leave me open to
infection if I don't have my AV scan emails? I understand such viewing is
tantamount to opening, but perhaps just viv-a-vis the message and not the
attachment.


Turn off the preview pane, makes it easier to go thru and delete messages
without opening them and you just double click to open in a new window and
can read the messages a lot easier IMHO.

But reading them will not cause you to get a virus without some sort of
other action such as clicking on a link or opening and running an
attachment.

2. If MSOE default does not allow access to attachments, how can I see the
many legit attachments I get?


Turn off the setting. I only leave it on for the truly gullible.

If you save the attachments instead of running them, you stand a far greater
chance of never opening a virus. The only ones I've opened are the ones I've
intentionally sent myself or had other send me and now that won't even
happen unless I use my local mail server as Earthlink removes it before I
see it.

Common sense rules will keep you safe. If you don't know who sent the
attachment, don'topen it. If you get an email from Microsoft saying to
install this update that is attached, delete it (SHIFT Delete) as Microsoft
and other companies don't send out updates.

And don't click on links to web sites from unknown sources.

That's where I saw the bit that prompted my question:
"To prevent the possibility of such destruction occuring, turn off email
scanning in your antivirus software. You will still be protected against
infection. If you attempt to open a message attachment containing a potential
virus, then your antivirus software will recognize that your are attempting
to infect your system, and will block you from doing so."
I've always been afraid that maybe it won't...:-).....It would be great if
it really does because having to go into Security settings to change it back
and forth everytime I want to see one of my many legitimate attachments seems
to be incredibly cumbersome and time consuming.....

J.



"Steve Cochran" wrote:

Also see www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx There are a number of items there that
speak to the issues you raise.

steve

This is from Symantec, but applies to all anti-virus programs.

From:
http://snipurl.com/bmf6

Is my computer still protected against viruses if I disable Email Scanning?

Disabling Email Scanning does not leave you unprotected against viruses that
are distributed as email attachments. Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect scans
incoming files as they are saved to your hard drive, including email and
email attachments. Email Scanning is just another layer on top of this. To
make sure that Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep
Auto-Protect enabled and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have
the most recent virus definitions.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Janetb" wrote in message
...
That's where I saw the bit that prompted my question:
"To prevent the possibility of such destruction occuring, turn off email
scanning in your antivirus software. You will still be protected against
infection. If you attempt to open a message attachment containing a
potential
virus, then your antivirus software will recognize that your are
attempting
to infect your system, and will block you from doing so."
I've always been afraid that maybe it won't...:-).....It would be great if
it really does because having to go into Security settings to change it
back
and forth everytime I want to see one of my many legitimate attachments
seems
to be incredibly cumbersome and time consuming.....

J.



"Steve Cochran" wrote:

Also see www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx There are a number of items there
that
speak to the issues you raise.

steve

1) Several years ago, before some fixes were made, opening a message that
was HTML could allow a nasty script to run, infecting your machine. This
was fixed a long time ago and one of the fixes was the option to read
messages in plain text only, which prevents any scripts from running.

2) Tools | Options | Security

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Please reply in newsgroup. Do NOT send email.

"Janetb" wrote in message
news
Thank you for your response....

1. If "Plain text email cannot infect you just by looking at it", why were
we always warned to be careful about opening suspicious emails? I once
read
(a long time ago) that viewing the email in the preview pane was just as
dangerous as opening it......

2. Where is this "access on/off" that I would have to toggle?


"Touch Base" wrote:


"Janetb" wrote in message
...

| 1. If I view my letters in the Preview pane, does that leave me open to
| infection if I don't have my AV scan emails? I understand such viewing
is
| tantamount to opening, but perhaps just viv-a-vis the message and not
the
| attachment.

Plain text email cannot infect you just by looking at it. HTML Mail will
not infect you just by looking at it, if you are running a current
version of Outlook or Outlook Express and have your settings set to block
images and attachments, and keep any version of the two up to date with
the latest patches.

| 2. If MSOE default does not allow access to attachments, how can I see
the
| many legit attachments I get?
|

You would have to toggle the access on/off as required. Then just click
on another email and then click back on the one you want to look at with
the attachment and it will be accessible or not as required.

--
Touch Base
Post back here on the result- good or bad

"Janetb" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the response....

2. Are viruses only in attachments??


Yes.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Please reply in newsgroup. Do NOT send email.

1. Many of my messages need to be at least skimmed if not read before
deciding whether to delete. Also, the view pane makes it very easy to skim
thru a long list of emails quickly---I just use the keyboard arrows. I
really
like that feature and would not want to give it up....


No problem, put abutton on the Toolbar for the Preview Pane. (Right click on
toolbar then select customize).

When you get the mail, turn it off to delete any known junk mail (never have
to open it that way) then turn it on for the others.


2. Are viruses only in attachments??


Yes.