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| Thread ID: 39124 | 2003-10-28 06:36:00 | .exe files - which do you touch and which do you not | Ladybug (3129) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 187249 | 2003-10-28 06:36:00 | Hello - Just wondering my sis n law has told me she has been told not to touch or download and files that end in .exe - tonight I go to download zonealarms free firewall and it comes up with .exe on the end. How do you know which are safe to download and which arnt??? Thanks Bug |
Ladybug (3129) | ||
| 187250 | 2003-10-28 06:53:00 | Most downloaded programs are . exe While its very good practice not to click on . exe files, it also means you cannot ever install new software from download sites . There has to be some common ground . Look at it this way, are you sure that you are obtaining the file from a reputable site? Are you happy that the file is what you asked for when you clicked on download? Most download sites list the file name and approximate size . Check that . If the above meets the requirements, and you have scanned the file with your AV software then you should click on it . Its all about common sense . Its also all about having the latest definition files for your antivirus software, as that should be the second line of defence in such cases . Unless its a very new virus, it should be caught while scanning or executing . In the last 10+ years I have never downloaded and installed a virus through infected files . If you only visit reputable sites for the software (tucows, and similar) then you should have little to worry about . |
godfather (25) | ||
| 187251 | 2003-10-28 07:06:00 | ill second that ;) a good anti-virus program is essential especially if your new at computing. |
Dylan (800) | ||
| 187252 | 2003-10-28 07:21:00 | I will 3rd that ;) :D I agree with godfather & Dylan with the above She Manley just need to use her common sense with exe files (I have also not had a virus from clicking on a exe) & that she is running a good anti-virus program And if she is unsure if a exe is safe or not then she just scan it with a anti-virus Program then it will tell her if it is safe or not :) |
stu140103 (137) | ||
| 187253 | 2003-10-28 07:25:00 | Yup Godfathers advice is good. I assume the suggestion not to download exe's was to avoid getting a virus. Viruses are not restricted to exe's and can be in word docs (doc etc), spreadsheets (xls etc) and many other file types. Most files you download will probably be zip files which contains other files so always scan these. You should follow Godfathers advice but scan ALL files you download, not just exe's. If you receive unsolicited emails with attachments give them the heave ho as attachments may not be as they appear (double extensions etc). |
parry (27) | ||
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