Is the mail really "open" when I look in preview window?

[Pfricksmom]

I'm new to Vista and Windows Mail. When I read a note in the "preview" pane
- is it really "open"? I've been told that it doesn't really open unless you
respond to it - so you can just read and not worry about any virus or spam
getting in. Any truth to this? If it really works this way it's a great
feature.

 

[Pfricksmom]

The only safe way to "peek" inside an email is to
highlight it and right-click.
Properties->Details->Message Source->Maximize.

I personally would stop using preview although MS
says it is safe. Then if you see something
suspicious, you can use the above method to try
and figure out if it is safe to open.
View->Layout->Preview Pane

Most of the malware starts by clicking something
in the email, rather than just opening it. Image
files are fairly safe (Gif, Jpg extension). Make sure
the extension is correct. Often a file will say
something like picture.jpg.exe. .EXE is a file that
will run when clicked. Here is a more complete list
of extensions to be aware of.

'Executable file extensions'
(http://antivirus.about.com/od/securitytips/a/fileextview.htm)

 

[Pfricksmom]

The only safe way to "peek" inside an email is to
highlight it and right-click.
Properties->Details->Message Source->Maximize.

I personally would stop using preview although MS
says it is safe. Then if you see something
suspicious, you can use the above method to try
and figure out if it is safe to open.
View->Layout->Preview Pane

Most of the malware starts by clicking something
in the email, rather than just opening it. Image
files are fairly safe (Gif, Jpg extension). Make sure
the extension is correct. Often a file will say
something like picture.jpg.exe. .EXE is a file that
will run when clicked. Here is a more complete list
of extensions to be aware of.

'Executable file extensions'
(http://antivirus.about.com/od/securitytips/a/fileextview.htm)





--
VistaRookie
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

I thought it was too good to be true. Thanks for the info. I never open up an attachment nor mail from someone I don't know. Most of the time I don't open the attachment from friends because it's been forwarded multiple times. Wish people would learn how to cut and paste!!

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Reading a message in the preview pane is no different than reading it in
its own window. However, most viruses are carried in attachments which
are not automatically opened. Also, your antivirus will scan an email before
it is displayed. (Don't confuse this real-time scanning of opened files with
the optional email scanning. The latter should not be enabled.)
I have never yet caught anything in the 14 years I've used preview, so
I wouldn't get paranoid about it.