AS soon as one starts receiving email and downloading files, one is at risk. It not only could happen to you, it most certainly will happen if you are not constantly vigilant. Your PC will collect a dreaded virus.

There are thousands upon thousands of viruses out there (you can even download a 'virus-making kit' should you be warped enough to want one) and some of them are deadly (to computers).

As a rule a virus will be dispersed as an attachment to emails. It is important to have a virus-protection program; to only download software from reputable suppliers, and never open an attachment from an unknown source.

Unfortunately, you can do all those things but still become 'infected' - often thanks to a friend.

Your friend won't know there is a virus attaching itself to his or her outgoing email - and you will be lulled into a false sense of security because the email, plus attachment, is from someone you trust implicitly.

My 'first' virus took out my ancient computer, totally, and it never recovered. The offending email came from someone I knew very well and I was intrigued to see an attachment. We were both new to emailing, and I was surprised she knew how to do this 'clever thing'.

I clicked on the attachment enthusiastically, nothing appeared to happen, so I sent off an email asking 'what was in that file you sent me?'

'I wouldn't know how to send you a file' she replied, and I sat there, blissfully ignorant, while my PC unravelled permanently.

The second time it happened I was older and wiser with more sophisticated virus software - but even that wasn't sufficient.

It was a similar scenario - an attachment from a friend who often mailed me 'pictures'. I couldn't open this attachment and immediately the warning bells rang.

Quickly deleting that email I sent one off, asking about the attachment, and learned the friend hadn't sent one. Then two hours later she emailed me frantically, having been contacted by a number of people listed in her address book. It was a virus, but she thought I was in the clear as my emails to her were arriving without the attachment. (I was using the Eudora mailing program and we subsequently discovered this virus was designed to 'piggyback' on emails sent via Outlook Express.)

My relief cannot be described - and it only lasted until I rebooted my PC and everything 'disintegrated'.

Professional help turned out to be no help. Two months later I was still having to reload programs, because whenever I used one vital parts went missing and it couldn't be reopened. Eventually I discovered the virus was still nestling in one file - and the only reason I hadn't been passing it on to everyone I knew was because I was still not using Outlook Express.

Now I am paranoid about attachments. I also try to update my anti-virus program constantly because new ones are released every day.

Surf to the Symantec home page for a free trial. Alternatively go to Tucows and type 'virus protection'in the Search Box at the top of the web page. You will be shown a list of anti-virus programs, mostly shareware or free.

Copyright 2001 SheldeneChant