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Ack! Forgot email hygiene, unzipped .scr file
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Nov 2002
Status:
Offline
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Been spending all day kicking myself for this:
Got an email "from" a work mate with a weird, misspelled subject line, and an even more cryptic message. A password-protected zip file was attached (part of the message included the password). Basically a big fat "delete me now" message, but for whatever reason, I chose to forget all my good email hygiene and unzip it. A .scr file showed up on my desktop.
I know that PC viruses don't affect Macs, but I'm worried about passing it on to my NT network at work, as well as my friends in PC land. Any constructive ideas for steps I can take to ensure I'm a good citizen with PCs? Do I need to worry at all about my keystrokes being captured? I took a look at Activity Monitor and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and even downloaded Little Snitch, though I haven't installed it yet.
Thanks
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status:
Offline
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If you don't wish to pass it on to Windows users, just don't forward it.
Automatic e-mail virus propagation does not exist on OS X; the only way to pass one on is by forwarding the attachment.
If you just delete it or ignore it, nothing will happen.
Relax, and welcome to Macintosh. 
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Status:
Offline
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As others have said here, there is no need to worry about this case. Macs are completely immune to almost all PC viruses (Word macro viruses being the only exception, and even then only if you use Word). Nothing that comes in a .scr file is going to be able to hurt you. However, even though you cannot become infected by a Windows virus, you can become a carrier if you keep the files on your hard drive, and if you later give the files to someone on Windows then they can become infected.
Delete the files from your hard drive when you find them. Don't forward them deliberately (they can't run the code to do it themselves, so you can't do it accidentally). Running a virus scanner on your Mac is also a good idea; most Mac virus scanners can find PC viruses, so that you can get rid of them when you find them.
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You are in Soviet Russia. It is dark. Grue is likely to be eaten by YOU!
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Huh?
Status:
Offline
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Just delete the .scr file and the e-mail. Should be as simple as that.
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"The captured hunter hunts your mind."
Profanity is the tool of the illiterate.
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