🚀 go-pugleaf

tom@nospam.demon.co.uk "Tom" wrote:

> the normal way
> of preventing stray .js, .vbs and .reg files from wreaking havoc is to
> select them in "File Types" and change the default action to "Edit" from
> the usual "Open".  

Has anybody listed all the files which can cause trouble? Obvious 
list:

.EXE,.COM: save somewhere and virus check before running. Even if 
  apparently clean, don't run unless there's a good reason to.
.DOC, XLS (and other Excel extensions), .PPT: when these come as 
  email, set your email viewer to the free-of-charge Microsoft 
  _viewer_ programs (e.g., Word viewer instead of MS Word). The 
  viewers are not susceptible to infection. I don't know if all email 
  programs let you set a different viewer than the general Windows 
  ones. 
.JPG, .GIF. .AVI, MPG, .MP3 are presumably not infectable.

> It's good policy anyway because then accidental double
> clicking does not run the file - you have to right-click and select the
> appropriate action (open or merge) to run it.

Good point. Maybe it's time to sacrifice the convenience of being 
able to open a file by double-clicking on it.

I expect a great surge of viruses (more accurately, worms) like Love 
Letter, now the idea is in the public domain.

HHU,
-- 
Michael Salem