[Newboater]

That proceedure USED to work a while back. The spammer could not get your addresses at all.

NOW its a different story. Since it became common knowledge on the internet about THAT FIX. The spammers and email collectors have long learned how to bypass it.

You can protect yourself with Anti-Virus programs and there are a lot of them out there. But the best protection is YOU.

A virus CANNOT AFFECT your computer unless YOU LET IT. If you open a file attachment without knowing what it is YOU are the VIRUS SPREADER.

Here's a trick for you to fully identify files coming in to you.

Fact: Microsoft has a setting so YOU as the OWNER of your computer will NEVER see a system file because Microsoft thinks you're TOO DUMB to be informed of it.

Viruses cannot hurt you unless they are activated. To activate them you have to CLICK on them. Executable files ( files that are programs that RUN ) are specifically identified to you as .exe or .bat or .com or .vsb or .dll or .sys --- SO --- Microsoft has a setting in your computer that HIDES these file identifiers so YOU can't MESS with them. Gee thanks.

So a hacker out there knowing this rule about HIDING KNOWN EXTENDERS ( the 3 little letters etc AFTER the name and period ) that Microsoft built in and SET FOR YOU just makes up a file and disguises the name.

Lets say I want to send you the bluefish virus which has an executable file called bluefish.bat ( .bat is an executable file ). I would just name the file bluefish.jpg.bat which would show up on your computer as bluefish.jpg ( Microsoft HIDES KNOWN EXTENDERS, (the .bat part of that) and just show you the file was bluefish.jpg ( picture file extender ) which Microsoft doesn't recognize.

Wow - I just made you click on bluefish.jpg.bat and run the virus.

So - Double click ( DC ) MY COMPUTER
DC Local C: drive
Click on ANY folder once to make it Hi-Lighted
Click Tools ( the line with File - Edit - View etc )
Click Folder Options
Click VIEW
Put a check mark IN Show Hidden Files & Folders
Take check mark OUT of Hide File Extenders for known file types.
Your choice of leaving or taking out the check mark for Hide Protected Operating System Files. ( If you know what they are you can look at them, if not - HIDE THEM )

This way that same file bluefish.jpg.bat will now be shown to you in an email attachment because you now WANT TO SEE KNOWN extenders and the .bat is a KNOWN extender.

Microsoft would HIDE that known extender.

Hope that makes it clear to you by me putting in all the points involved so you can understand the steps and processes.

Sarge