Turn the Preview Pane Off In Your Email Program

------------------------------------------------

In Outlook and Outlook Express, there is a feature
known as the "Preview Pane". This is an area of
the screen where you can see the contents of an
email as soon as you highlight the email by simply
clicking once on it, and it is your worst enemy.

The Preview Pane option actually opens the email
you click on immeidately, running whatever nasty scripts
are contained within it!  This is an open invitation to
viruses that say "come on in and trash my system".

This is VERY dangerous because many of today's
email viruses will run when the email is opened
without you double-clicking on an attachment
or anything... it just runs when the email is opened!
It's kind of like opening an envelope from your
mailbox only to find that there is some
mysterious white powder in it. Once it has been
opened, the damage is done.

Worse yet, remember that just because an email
comes from someone you know, it doesn't mean
it is virus-free!  Most viruses send themselves
to everybody you know.

If a virus infects your system it will typically
send itself to everyone in your address
book, which means that all of your friends get an
email from you that contains the virus, and you
never even know that the emails were sent on
your behalf.

We cannot stress enough, the fact that many
viruses can execute just by opening an email.
You don't have to double-click on attachments
to get infected by the new breed of email
viruses/spywares.  When in doubt, don't even open,
just delete. 

How did things get this way?  Human nature, actually.
Because we want to send emails that "look nice" and
have nice fonts and colors and maybe some pictures,
Microsoft had to allow extraordinary things in emails.
When the internet first came to be, you could only send
plain text in an email.  No font options, or colors.

Unfortunately, the way Microsoft set things up, you can not
only put pictures and nice fonts in your emails, but
you can also put executable scripts (programs) in your emails
and they will run when the recipient opens the email.

Some people saw this as an opportunity to send nasty,
"unexpected" things (viruses) to other people and maybe get
their "virus" mentioned on the news. Nowadays, it's
more about organized crime trying to steal money
anywhere and anyhow they can.  Viruses and spywares
are "quieter" now... secretly installing themselves on
your system and sending your account and password
information quietly back to the "home office" to be
exploited when you least expect it.

So make sure that you have the best Antivirus
and AntiSpyware softwares installed and active on
your system(s).  And always keep them up to date.

That's where turning off the preview pane comes in.
If the preview pane is on, every email you highlight
is actually opened so that it can be displayed in
the preview pane... which means that all scripts in the
email are also run, potentially to your shagrin.

Turn off your Preview Pane now!

Never, never, never turn on your email program's
"Preview Pane".  If you can see the contents of
emails the instant you single-click on them,
then your Preview Pane option is turned on.

While this may be convenient, it is the same
as opening the email (which can, in turn, run
any embedded viruses in your emails).

By turning the preview option off, you gain
the advantage of then having a chance to decide
if you want to delete emails with suspicous
subjects or senders' addresses without ever
opening them.  Plus, you can tell if an
email has an attachment if there is a
paperclip icon next to it. More cause for
suspicion.

The only inconvenience in turning off the
preview option (if you can call it that) is that
you have to double-click on emails in your inbox
to actually open/view them.  

Here we are going to show you how to disable
the Preview Pane in Outlook and Outlook Express.

If you use something other than Outlook or Outlook
Express for your email, and would like
instructions on disabling the preview pane,
click on Help in your email program
and search for the word "Preview".  If you do
not find the information there, email the
maker (Eudora, Netscape, TheBat, etc) for help
in turning off your preview option.

Disabling Preview Pane in Outlook Express

Of the two Outlook versions, "Express" is the
easiest in which to disable the Preview Pane.

1. Make sure your "Folder List" is visible on
  the left hand side of the Outlook window.
  If it is not, click on the "View" menu and
  then click on the "Layout..." option.
  In the window that appears, put a checkmark
  next to "Folder List" and then click on
  "Apply" and "OK".

2. If you can now see your folder list (which
  includes your "Deleted Items", "Drafts",
  "Outbox", "Inbox" and any folders you have
  created under the "Inbox") you are ready
  for the next step.

3. Click on the "Inbox" folder in
  the Folder List. If the Preview Pane (usually
  in the lower right quadrant of your screen)
  is visible, then click on the "View" menu
  option and then on the "Layout..." menu item.
  In the window that appears, REMOVE the
  checkmark next to the "Show Preview Pane"
  option.  Then, click on "Apply" and "OK".

Now that your preview pane is disabled, this means
that you will now need to double-click on an email
to have it open up in its own window.

This is a very good thing, however, because it
gives you the chance to decide whether you want
to open the mail in the first place.  

If any email is suspect (or just plain junk mail),
all you have to do to delete it without ever
opeinng it, is click once on the email to
highlight it, then hit your "Del" key to
delete it.

Don't forget to empty your "Deleted Items" folder
once in a while!

Disabling Preview Pane in Outlook

1. If you do not see your folder list along the
  left hand side of your Outlook window, click
  the "View" menu item and then the "Folder List"
  option. This is a toggle setting, which means
  that each time you do this you turn the folder
  list on or off.

2. If you can now see your folder list (which
  includes your "Deleted Items", "Drafts", "Inbox"
  and any folders you have created under the
  "Inbox") you are ready for the next step.

3. Click on the "Deleted Items" folder in
  the Folder List. If the Preview Pane (usually
  in the lower right quadrant of your screen)
  is visible, then click on the "View" menu
  option and then on the "Preview Pane" menu item.
  This also is a toggle setting. Clicking this repeatedly
  will turn the Preview Pane on and off.

4. Repeat step 3 for each folder in your Folder List.
  Do NOT do step 3 on the "Journal", "Note",
  "Outbox", and "Tasks" folders. Do all others
  below "Inbox", however.
  For each folder where a preview pane shows up,
  use the "View/Preview Pane" menu option to turn
  the Preview Pane off for those folders.

Now that the Preview Pane is OFF:

Now that your preview pane is disabled, this means
that you will now need to double-click on an email
to have it open up in its own window.

This is a very good thing, however, because it
gives you the chance to decide whether you want
to open the mail in the first place.  

If any email is suspect (or just plain junk mail),
all you have to do to delete it without ever
opeinng it, is click once on the email to
highlight it, then hit your "Del" key to
delete it.

Empty The Trash:

Don't forget to empty your "Deleted Items" folder
once in a while!  Infected emails can also be hiding
in your "Deleted Items" folder.

Summary:

The obvious protection is to get the best Antivirus
and AntiSpyware softwares installed on your system(s).
But even if you have real-time anti<whatever> software
you really should get in the habit of turning off your email
program's preview pane because it causes emails
to be opened (and runs whatever is in them).