...but do not let the goodness make you feel comfortable.
You still have to know how you get a trojan / virus. You still have to practice
due diligence when you download files. (If you do not understand the difference
between a message, or email, and/or a file, you will probably need to come see me
for virus removal at some point in time.
A file (Video, music, images: If you have to click a link to get (download)
the file and then you Open it, you should download it to a temporary space.
Do not open it or play it untill you have run your Anti Virus application against
it (Scan it for Virus)
If you receive it imbedded within the messssage, the host has already scanned
it. It is safe.
If you receive it in your mailbox through AOL, Microsoft or YAHOO, it has been
scanned. If a virus is found, you will get a message that you received mail
for so-n-so, and it has been deleted because it was infected.
The general overview of this information is that any data that comes through
the Messenger is safe. Data that you have to download is risky. and should
always be scanned with your Anti Virus before actually clicking on the saved file,
image or music.
CHAT
The CHAT feature is as safe as it gets. If you are satisfied with passing
only text data back and forth, This is as safe as it gets.
You can invite others to participate in a group session. It's like
all of the participates going into a room or restaraunt and chatting with each
other. Learn to use it!
You downloaded WHAT?
Whatever it is, no matter where you got it, use you
Antivirus to test it:
How to scan the file that you downloaded... Note: My recomendations
is that you NEVER download to your desktop because... nearly everyone who
does that leaves it there forever.
Download the file to your download folder. (A 'Downloads' folder
in 'My Documents' is my recomendation.)
'My Computer' / Explorer to the folder/file that you want to scan
with your ANti Virus.
RMB (Right Mouse Button, click) and choose "Scan with VIPRE" (or
which one you are using?)
There is no assurance that the files that pass the scanner are clean.
It means that there are no known (yet) Malware within it.
Now that you can see the file name of the downloaded file,
do a web search on the name. Unless it
is a very new (last two weeks), web search is pretty good at being useful
if the file was a problem.
Short of avoiding all free things, this
is as good as we can do.
Music, video, screen savers, toolbars that pass scan are likely
to be clean.
