Virus Avoidance Musings

I hope we all know by now not to open attachments in unexpected emails from unrecognized senders.

There's a special file type that really everyone should just know with total confidence to leave completely alone (I'm talking about Windows machines here - one of things Mac people like about Macs is that they are not so susceptible to virus attacks, and in this case a Mac couldn't even open the file if you did click on it).

I'm referring to a ".exe" file.

Dot E-X-E is an abbreviation for "executable file" in the same way that Dot D-O-C is an abbreviation for "document file." In file structure parlance everything after the dot is used by the operating system to make sure that the file gets opened by the right software (as in the case of .doc files opening automatically in Word).

As an aside, an easy way to encrypt something in a very loose and sloppy way is to just change its file extension so that it will just crash whatever application that file type would normally launch. Changing a .wmv (a movie file type) into a .doc will crash Word if you just double left click on it, but if you right click and then "open with" a media player of some sort it will run as it ought to (no one else would ever think to try opening a .doc file in a media player, that would be dumb). As I wrote the other day, changing .avi files into .mpg files enables them to work in a PowerPoint slide show. There are probably other tricks one can do with file extension switcheroos too.

Back on topic, though. Executable files are software programs. You might not know this, however, because most executable files AKA software programs have installer software associated with them that create the desktop icons and such that we all associate with launching applications from our desktops and "All Programs" menus. The only reason I know about this is because I've downloaded enough freeware to have noticed that simple, small programs coded by people who code freeware don't always have installers. I suppose installers add another level of complexity that hobbyist programmers have little use for. Alot of freeware just sits in a folder wherever you put it on your hard drive waiting for you to double click on its attendant fill-in-the-blank.exe file name.

Then it launches and does whatever useful thing someone designed it to do - just like all those fancy icons on your desktop launch their attendant programs.

The upshot of all this is that the only time you should ever click or double click on a .exe file is when you or your system administrator put that file there deliberately and for a specific purpose that is known to you the clicker. I guarantee you something will happen that you don't want to have happening if you click on unfamiliar .exe files.

If you're one of those bold explorer types who just likes to open files to see what's in them, then do yourself a favor and copy the stuff before the .exe into your favorite web browser to learn about it instead of actually launching the file.

This goes for all those ads you see on web pages too. Don't ever, under any circumstances whatsoever, click on one of those things. If one of them really looks interesting to you, just note down some of the text from the ad window and Google it. That way you can expand your horizons without collapsing your operating system.