Hey all! Got this from Tim Stowell, another USGenWeb county coordinator in Georgia. I also received notification from another source which mentioned this link: http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/20143.html Check this article for more information. And PLEASE, don't EVER download a file from someone you don't know! (Or even from someone you DO know unless you requested it and are expecting it.) Most of us request GEDCOMs, which are text files and are harmless, but if something is zipped and you don't know who it is from, DON'T open it until you confirm from that individual exactly what they've zipped into that file... > There is a new virus, "Worm.Explore", which is transmitted through an email > attachment and which is very dangerous. > > If you receive an email which has the attachment "zipped_files.exe" DO NOT > DOUBLE CLICK ON THIS FILE TO RUN IT. It will destroy vital files on your > hard drive and on the network. > > If you have already run this file, do not turn your computer off. Call > tech support at once for help. > > > A more detailed description is below. > > HOW WORM.EXPLORE WORKS > The worm -- first discovered in Israel -- enters as an email attachment > with the name "zipped_files.exe." Its deceptively friendly message reads: > > Hi "name of recipient"! > I received your e-mail and I shall send you a reply ASAP. > Till then, take a look at the attached zipped docs. > Bye. > > Experts say you should delete it without opening it, and then empty the > deleted items file. > > If it executes, the worm copies itself to the windows system directory with > the filename "Explore.exe" and then modifies the WIN.INI file so the > program executes each time Windows starts. > > It then uses the infected computer's email client to harvest email > addresses in order to propagate itself. > > But behind the scenes, it plays real mean: searching C through Z drives and > selecting crucial file extensions and rendering them useless by making them > 0 bytes long. Result: Non-recoverable data or computer system failure. > -- Mary Kathryn Kozy mkozy@ibm.net http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~marykozy Dougherty Co., GA USGenWeb page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~gadoughe Monroe Co., GA USGenWeb page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~gamonroe South King Co. Genealogical Society web page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~waskcgs