There are as many vir*s hoaxes as there are vir*ses. There are several new ones making the rounds at the moment. A good rule of thumb is to simply delete any email that tells you to remove a specified file from your hard drive. This is your red flag that it's a hoax. Symantec has an alphabetical listing of vir*s hoaxes that is very helpful: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html However, we are in the midst of a very real vir*s that is a major pain in the neck - Klez. I hope your virus software has been updated with current definitions and you are running frequent scans. Klez is VERY difficult to remove and is wrecking havoc on a number of lists. Please remember that Klez forges the From address, so you may not be able to tell who the infected party really is. If your computer should become infected, please contact me off-list and I would be happy to help as much as I can. Take care and be safe! Tracy IRISH-NEW-YORK-CITY list admin