Everybody: if you don't already know, here's the scoop: a new and very nasty virus, named NIMDA, has been released onto the Internet, starting sometime Monday. It will infect Windows machines that are running IE5.0, IE5.0 SP1, and IE 5.5(all Versions). It does
not affect IE 5.0 SP2, so if you're currently running it, you're not affected, unless you accidently open one of the emails that it's sent out <lol>.
If you're not sure which Service Pack(the SP I was referring to above) you currently have installed. . . do the following:
1. Open up Internet Explorer.
2. Click on Help.
3. Select "About Internet Explorer".
4. The 4th line down will say something like, "Update Versions:;SP2;". If it
doesn't say that, you're vulnerable to this virus.
IMPORTANT this virus can and will infect your machine if you visit
websites that have infected servers!
If you even
suspect that you're infected, please visit the following link:
http://virus.pandasoftware.com and look for the picture depicting PQREMOVE.COM near the middle of the article on this virus. Click on the picture, and it will prompt you to select what you wish to do with the file- select "Run This File From its Current Location". It'll open up the file and then run immediately- and after that, it's fairly self-explanatory.
To prevent getting infected by websites, update IE to 5.01 SP2 immediately, if at all possible. People who have installed IE 5.5. . . well, you're kinda stuck <lol>, so avoid all but the "better" sites, who're likely to have put a filter in place by now. . .
Anyhoo, just thought everybody should know about this, because NIMDA will turn your machine into an
infector as well as an infectee! And it alters system files, and potentially opens your machine's security up for more mayhem! Yum :P