Do not send messages to the SCRoots forum about "virus" problems.  The
fundamental reason for this rule is that the overwhelming majority of "virus
warnings" that people distribute are flawed, wrong, or hoaxes.  The copy shown
below is another example of such a flawed and incorrect warning.

Computer virus are not distributed by reading an email message.  You can only
get a virus by running executable program code such as in ".com" ".exe" ".bat"
files, macros, or any other code which causes your computer to execute
instructions.  Email messages being read in an email program do not execute
instructions in your computer.  The email program executes instructions, but
those instructions are written into the email program.  They are NOT
instructions from within the email message itself.  

You can get a virus by running an executable file attached to an email message. 
For that reason you should configure your email program such that it does not
automatically run executable attachments but rather ask you first or leaves them
alone and lets you manually handle them.  Files which contain macros which are
executed by a program can contain viruses within the macro.  Current versions of
many programs are configured to allow the user to prevent macros from being
automatically executed and allow the user to decide whether or not they should
be executed.

Anyone concerned about virus detection and prevention should research this
subject elsewhere.  Not in this genealogy forum.  You can find links on the
Frequently Asked Questions page (http://www.wp.com/Coker/faq.html) where you can
find much more detailed information about computer viruses and how to prevent
becoming infected.

Steven J. Coker
SCRoots Manager


Jonathan Keeton wrote:
> 
> My computer crashed Saturday.I probally picked up something here..
> Maybe got it straight.Lost all my files.
> Now I have a scanner. Can someone tell me how to set up e-mail where it
> gets scanned as it comes in ,,or how do you protect yourselves.Debra
> 

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