Turn Off the Preview Pane in Outlook or Outlook Express
It used to be that you could only get a virus by opening an
attachment. That's no longer true. While most viruses come from
attachments to email, some viruses - called worms - can infect your
computer simply by reading the message. This causes a problem for
people using Outlook or Outlook Express.
Both programs have a Preview Pane, a panel across the bottom of
the screen that "previews" what is in your email before you actually
open it. Some viruses can take advantage of this and infect your
computer even before you open the email carrying the virus. The
Preview Pane is a convenience only and can easily be turned off. In
Outlook, go to the View menu and note that fourth or fifth choice
down is "Preview Pane." Select and left click on this to toggle the
Preview Pane on and off. While in Outlook Express' Inbox, go the the View menu and click on Layout. Remove the checkmark from the box labeled "Show Preview Pane." Of course, turning off your preview pane is not an iron-clad defense against viruses. Your computer needs to be protected by a dedicated anti-virus program such as those made by Symantec (Norton AntiVirus) and McAfee. With a good anti-virus program in place and up-to-date, you should be able to enjoy your preview pane for the convenience it is meant to provide.
Return to Top
|
