The scoop on viruses How to protect yourself & others By Erfert Fenton In some ways, your MSN TV receiver is different from a personal computer. For example, its operating system (the basic software that controls the receiver) is not the same as the software that controls PCs, Macs, and other personal computers. And, unlike a computer, your receiver does not have a hard drive where you can store programs or files.

On the other hand, your receiver shares many features with computers. You can surf the Web, join an online chat, or send e-mail to people. And because you're part of a large, connected community that includes computer users and MSN TV 2 users, you can exchange e-mail with anyone who has an e-mail account, including computer users. In general, that's a good thing.

However, in just about any large group there are a few bad guys. These days, computer owners are all too familiar with the perils of viruses, malicious programs that are placed on a computer without the computer user's knowledge. Some viruses are simply pranks, and might do something like display an annoying message. Others are more harmful, and can damage files or programs on a computer.

The good news is that your MSN TV receiver is not likely to be infected with a virus. (We're not saying it's impossible for your receiver to get a virus; computer hackers are a clever lot. There have been a few instances of malicious code making its way to MSN TV devices — but these are rare.) Because your receiver has no hard drive, you can't load programs onto it. And because viruses are generally hidden programs that need to execute, or run, your receiver is not a likely target.

The bad news is that you could potentially receive an e-mail message that includes a virus (often in the form of an attachment), and then forward the e-mail — along with the virus — to a friend. Your friend could then open the e-mail and attachment on a computer, which could be harmed.

Here are a few tips to keep you from being the unsuspecting purveyor of a virus:

- Don't open an e-mail message from someone you don't know. Simply delete the message. Be particularly suspicious of messages from unknown senders that include an attachment. While your receiver is unlikely to be affected by a virus, it's a good idea to ignore e-mail from strangers.

- If you receive an e-mail that includes an attachment, don't forward it to anyone. As mentioned earlier, the attachment could contain a hidden virus that could infect someone's computer. (You should be careful even if the e-mail came from a trusted friend; your friend might be passing along a virus without knowing it.)

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