VIRUS WARNING

[Tony Collins 1073]

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!


You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,'regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer.


This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.


If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN.
It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.


COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS.


REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US

[Andy Boylett]

It's a hoax and been around for ages http://www.hoax-slayer.com/postcard-virus-hoax.shtml

[Tony Collins 1073]

Thanks for putting our minds at rest Andy, Better safe than sorry Eh!

[Ron Pearman]

I had a warning from McAfee just now that it had detected a "Trojan" on my computer and had destroyed it. I have used McAfee for years, so far it has kept me safe. Maybe this warning from Tony is for real ?

[Andy Boylett]

Hi Guy's, yes it's always better to be safe but think about this....My wife is a complete computer whizz and I used to forward messages like this to her. She just ponits me to the sites that show they are a hoax. In the last 10 years the only one of these messages that has proven to be real is one that actually originated from my friends company where they really did have a virus!! All the rest are just nerds having fun and seeing how many people they can get to send the emails around. Have a look on that site I put the link to, you will find every single hoax email you have ever come across.

Also, if you are using anti-virus software you should be well protected anyway. The other way to be safe is simply not to open anything from someone you do not know. I have never used anti-virus software and am just careful not to open anything - I have never got a virus.

ps. looking for Christmas presents for wives? Try my wife's sites here:
http://designerdresses.me.uk/
http://designerhandbags.me.uk/
http://www.designer-shoes.org.uk/
http://www.designeroutletshopping.co.uk/

Cheers, Andy

[Dave Parry]

Hi Andy I am a bit of a computer whiz too, you can never be too careful, even the best websites can get it wrong don’t forget, that website has to rely on humans to update it and we all know how fickle they can be, so Tony is right in warning us all even if it turns out to be a hoax.

It is up to you whether you use antivirus software or not I for one think you are mad not too you will get caught out one day, I hope for your sake you don’t.

[Tony Collins 1073]

Andy. I was unaware that you do not use antivirus protection. I don't know how long you have been operating a computer, but surely you must realise the dangers in just surfing the internet. You can get clobbered without even knowing it, until your computer starts to slow down and weird things like sudden crashes occur. Your personal details can be taken from you without knowing. It is just like leaving your house and all the doors open. Every time that you install a new programme you should scan it with a good antivirus software.
Everytime that you download something from the internet you should check it before use.
Threats via E-mail represent just a very small part of the problem.
Failure to to take the necessary precautions will eventually lead to your downfall, and also endanger other people who you have contact with. I can recommend a very good antivirus programme which is free in its basic form. Simply go on to the AVAST website and it is available. There are also some very good antispyware and trojan programmes out there which are gratis if you care to search for them. These things are not fads. They are necessities. I am sure that most of the lads on here will back me up.

[Tony Collins 1073]

If you still have doubts, then take a look at this.


http://businesssoftwarehomepage.com/dan ... puter/461/

[Andy Boylett]

Hi again,
Thanks for the suggetsions. We have tried Norton, Eset and many others but they usually cause more software issues than they are worth - virtually all computer faults we have had have been because of anti-virus software interfeering with programms.
I started with a ZX81 computer in 1978, follolwed by a ZX Spektrum 48k in 1979. I learned machine code programming on these (Sinclair specific) and then went onto to use a PET computer and the VAX mainframe at university using Fortran 77 and Basic. My familly are all internet whiz kids and are fully clued up. Mandy started her internet business in 1995.
A virus only gets on your computer if you do something to allow it. We do not download or 'clic' from any non secure source. We also have a piece of hardware called a firewall that then distributes our internet connection to each room in the house (14 computers at the last count with Mandy's business). The whole house is networked so that we can share each others hard drives, printers, scanners etc so it is very important that we stay 'clean'. Although Sam bypasses the firewall for some of his game server applications he sells, he writes his own code to be IP specific so that nothing form another source can access our network.
Cheers
Andy

[Mark Partington 2989]

I started with a ZX81 computer in 1978, follolwed by a ZX Spektrum 48k in 1979

Andy, you might want to check your dates again

The Sinclair ZX81 was released in 1981, and the ZX Spektrum followed later on in, IIRC, 1982 (not exact of the last date as I'd progressed onto Commodore products in 1982).


Mark

[Tony Collins 1073]

Commodore 64 for me too Mark and then the Dragon 32....or was it the other way around. anyway I can remember that programming was extremely painful in those days.

[Andy Boylett]

Andy, you might want to check your dates again

The Sinclair ZX81 was released in 1981, and the ZX Spektrum followed later on in, IIRC, 1982 (not exact of the last date as I'd progressed onto Commodore products in 1982).

Mark

Why would I want to check the dates? Who cares within a year or so, it was 30 years ago!

[Alan Bithrey]

ps. looking for Christmas presents for wives? Try my wife's sites here:

Not with internet security like that I'm afraid .......

[Andy Boylett]

Not with internet security like that I'm afraid .......

Are you an internet expert? Do you understand internet security?

[Dave Parry]

Hi Andy, you can’t get mad at people for their opinions you left yourself wide open when you told everyone you don’t protect your computers at home, I am sure you and your family know what they are doing after all 14 computers to keep running is no small task.

You will find most people don’t understand how computers and the internet works and quite rightly so, it is there chose, but they do know how dangerous the internet can be and how easy it is to be attacked by Viruses, Trojans and the like, so you can’t blame them if they decide not to trust your wife’s sites.

Dave Parry (LMA Website & Forum Administrator)

[Andy Boylett]

I guess.

[Mark Partington 2989]

Why would I want to check the dates? Who cares within a year or so, it was 30 years ago!

No need to get so touchy, but you brought the dates up after saying what an expert you are on computers