Message to Melnq8, New Zealand Expert
 

Hi Melnq8, hope this important message reaches you. Thanks for all the help and advice with my New Zealand trip. On one of your posts you listed your e-mail as [email protected] I sent you an e-mail to that address, and a reply came back to me which my computer alerted me is infected with a virus. My son (engineer) said it may be an automatic virus being automatically sent from that address. It did not appear to have any message, simply a virus. I didn't open it so I am okay but I thought you need to know...also others need to know as that address is still posted somewhere on the New Zealand forum! I am sure it isn't anything you are aware of.

Melissa -

I just checked with my computer guru hubby who said it can't be a virus, so I'm not sure what's going on. I didn't send an attachment, just a response to your e-mail. [email protected] is a temporary address I use for corresponding with fellow travelers.

I'll resend the e-mail to you using a different e-mail address and see if it looks okay on your end.

Let me know through this thread how it goes.

Melnq8, I will check my e-mail again. the odd thing about the "message" sent from your billmelk account is that it didn't contain any words...just a "period". There wasn't any message. But my anti-virus program detected a virus...it was very dramatic, my anti-virus program actually announced the virus to me verbally out loud! Never have seen that function of my anti-virus program performed before. Then I called in my son the expert who happened to be home and he took care of it...I didn't open it or anything. (I can "see" messages without opening them in this e-mail program because of my particular e-mail program, that is how it works.) Then I can delete them or open them, my choice. In this case the anti-virus program was announcing the virus then my son took over to delete it. Anyway good luck and I'll tell you what happens with the new e-mail. Wonder what happened to your message and why it turned into only a "period"?

Beats me - sometimes I think computers have a mind of their own.

Just left you a message on your other thread. Let me know if the second e-mail got through ok.

Melnq8, the same problem happened with your second e-mail. Once again, Avast! Antivirus program came on with a dramatic audible announcement that the e-mail contains a dangerous virus. Poor Melnq8, my husband and I think it is in your computer. Anyway I thought this post could be important for fodorites for now, until you are able to fix the problem since your e-mail is still posted on fodors.

We use many programs to protect our computer. They are freeware: antivirus and antitrojan programs (for free). Avast can find the virus that you probably already have and remove it.

http://www.avast.com/eng/update_avast_4_vps.html
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad-...e_personal.php
http://www.ewido.net/en/

Good luck, and when you find and delete the problem I would love to get an e-mail from you if you have time.

Everyone, Melnq8 is a great resource for New Zealand travel info! Thanks, Melnq8.

Melnq8, one more thing to add to above message...my husband says the virus may be imbedded in one of your e-mail accounts and you may have e-mailed it to yourself unknowingly. Right now it may be automatically propogating itself throughout your e-mail address book. (We think.)

Melissa -

I've got Norton Anti Virus 2006, which is updated weekly and Zone Alarm Pro - (firewall and spyware scanner). I just completed a Zone Alarm scan and no viruses or threats were found.

My husband just spent his lunch hour checking out my computer and researching Avast (we couldn't find a review any more recent than Nov 2005 though). He seems to think that Avast suspected a virus for whatever reason, and then stripped the e-mail I sent to you, that's why you only got a (.) period.

Our incoming e-mail is automatically stripped of attachments or other suspicious items - at our request. It then puts these items into our junk folder, which we can either delete or choose to open. This prevents inadvertently opening executable files.

Another possibility might be that your virus checker stopped my e-mail because I have an optional tracking device on my e-mail which lets me know when it's been opened. I can certainly understand how a virus checker might find this suspicious, and I'll consider turning it off if anyone else reports a problem.

BTW - Virus checkers usually give names of detected virsuses - did Avast give you a name?

I'm going to send the original e-mail under my hotmail account. Let's see if Avast will let that one through.

Melnq8, yep, Avast let the e-mail through on your hotmail account. This is the very first time I have had Avast announce to me with an audible voice that there was any threat! My son took care of your first e-mail and my husband took care of your second e-mail. Sorry, I don't know if there was any specific virus named.

Yes I agree about attachments. I don't open attachments...in fact I told my husband I won't even open his attachments! (Not unless he specifically calls me ahead of time and tells me what attachment he is sending.)

Anyway thanks for the e-mail which finally got through! I love talking to experienced travellers.