can you get a virus from just opening an email from an unknown sender?

Question

-how do you check if it is just from someone whose email you don't recognize...if it has a magnifying glass over mail letter...does that mean a picture or attachment...thanks

Answer 1

NO, you cannot get a virus from reading pure text.
You cannot get a virus from a cookie file either.
The text in a cookie file or an email is processed just like any other image on the screen. The computer doesn't actually read the email or the cookie. To the computer the text on the screen is the same as the image on an icon. When you press a link then the processor has to get involved. Otherwise most of it is handled by your graphics card and its processor.

However, if you OPEN the attachment then the virus program runs and you get infected. If you have your email browser set to read HTML files then you could get a virus, because HTML is a language that goes through your process and so it can run a virus. I think that you will be safe unless you click on anything on the HTML page, but I can't say for sure. You can hide links all over the HTML page, or turn the entire page into one hidden button. So if you make a mistake and click anywhere on the HTML page the virus will run. Change your email settings to text only, unless you trust the sender, and know them.

The magnifying glass is a different program on the machine; it optically changes the pixel size on your machine. It doesn't read the text or run the program so as long as you avoid opening the attachments you won't have a problem.

Yes, you can check e-mail that may have a virus infection safely without getting your computer infected. It is only when you OPEN an attachment will the virus run.

If you have vision problems where you need the magnifier glass to see then you should change your resolution. Go to the desktop
Right Click on the screen, not on an icon, a dialogue box appears, select the Settings tab and go to the spot on the dialogue box with a slider control. The control should say Screen Resolution. If you move the slider to the left you will decrease the resolution, making the items on the screen bigger, by increasing the pixel size (which is what the magnifying glass is doing). This will change the entire screen and the entire screen will be larger. If that isn't large enough then try the magnifying glass on a lower setting. You don’t need the magnifying glass unless your vision is really poor.

Answer 2

You CANNOT get a virus from simply opening and reading an e-mail. If you open the attachment that contains a virus then you could transfer this onto your pc, however if you have antivirus software then this will give you a warning anyway.

You could actually get this from anyone, not just an unknown sender. A friend could mistakenly send you an attchment that is infected unwittingly.

Answer 3

Although they usually come from attachments, in todays world you can get a virus from just a single email, spam mail, even your messengers. If you don't have an antivirus program you need to get one.

Answer 4

Yes you can definitely get a virus from opening e-mail from an unknown sender. Never, never open an e-mail unless you know for certain who it is from.

Answer 5

Yes


never open any email that you dont know the sender...
the virus code can be embedded into the email so when you open it...
KAPOOWWWWIEEEE!!!