"Surferbar" virus>Outlook sucks>best browser/email client

[Azselendor]

I recall a statement from Microsoft saying that a number of the security holes in various Windows operating systems won't be patched because it might interfere in future "advertising campigns".

Most likey to pull a stunt link Windows 98 and roll 3 years of bug fixes, IE, and a pile of bloatware into one uber-useless windows.

If anything, I think these viruses might have been created and launched as a response to that whole press release.

[ September 03, 2003, 20:36: Message edited by: Klvino ]

[Phoenix-D]

Dogscoff, this isn't the only or first virus to exploit the preview window. The one time I got a virus, guess how? It was nimda, via that window..

[Baron Munchausen]

People generally use Outlook, or 'Express', because they have to interface with certain MS network services on a business LAN and no other email programs can do that. (I've spaced the name-- MS Exchange? I forget. You can tell I don't have to F- with it... )

There are lots of alternative email programs. Eudora, Pegasus (I think that made the leap from Win 3.1 to 95/98?), 'The Bat' and a bunch of other shareware programs.

The best solution, though, is to completely replace both Outlook and IE. Go to www.mozilla.org and download the 1.4 Version (latest 'stable' release) of Mozilla! Yes, it's available for Windows and the full install is only about 13 megabytes. Not too bad even on a 56k link. (Certainly less than IE 5/6!) Shockwave/Flash works with it just as well as with IE and there is a link to get the Sun Java plugin so you can have Java. It has email and newsreader and even IRC (Chatzilla) built-in! This is a complete replacement for all that sh*t that MS has been forcing on people since they realized Netscape existed and decided to stomp them, and it's vastly more secure and reliable. Has some cool features that IE doesn't too, like 'tabbed' browsing.

[ September 04, 2003, 00:34: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Phoenix-D]

I've tried the email program that goes with Mozilla- Thunderbird- but I can't get it to do threaded display AND sort by date at the same time.

As in, sort by thread, then sort the thread starts by date. Turning on one turns off the other.

[Baron Grazic]

To turn Off/On the Preview Pane:-
Microsoft Outlook - Click on 'View', 'Preview Pane'.
Outlook Express - Click on 'View', 'Layout', 'Show Preview Pane'.

I agree with MB, most people use Outlook because of the Corporate world. They get used to using it at Work with MS Exchange, and continue that at home.

Same goes for IE. I use Mozilla at work, but even with Java, I am unable to access our intranet, firewalls and monitoring tools, because of the way Microsoft has designed its code, and made other suppliers only deal with them.

[Arkcon]

I have to use Outlook at work. I have preview off. Outlook defaults to preview, I notice, whenever I create a folder. So I can't blame people who have it on too much.

I never open an email with an attachment that looks frivilous, I just delete. And purge the deleted folder. I never open attachments I don't need -- the Excel spreadsheet with this months cafeteria menu goes straight to the recycle bin -- I don't need to be the propagation point of a macro virus. I'm too well known as a geek, they'll figure I did it on purpose. The secretary can always plead insanity.

At home I use Pegasus mail. Is it more secure? I dunno. I have preview off, and it strips HTML mail. At the very least its a little obscure, people write Microsoft viruses specifically, maybe they'll skip Pegasus. So maybe Pegasus is ok.

I used to use Eudora in the non-spyware mode (fewer features). But the spyware was still there, just inactive. And that was giving Adaware conniptions. So I got rid of Eudora.

[ September 04, 2003, 14:05: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[Arkcon]

Oh. I forgot to say how I know a virus is going 'round before I go to work. Check the Shrapnel Forums and see if Dogscoff has reported anything. So the plan for you ... um ... Dogscoff is ... um ... uh. Hmmm. Carry on chap. Stiff upper lip and whatnot. Cheers right.