Outlook 2000 email message trying to make me download something

[Bill Wesson]

I use Outlook 2000. This afternoon I received an email
message (now it is at the top of the list and the cursor
has automatically selected it) which appears to want me to
do a Windows Update. It is asking me to select a download
site (the only option I have is to select a region of
"North America" and a site of "Web site - Windows Update")
and to click "OK". I cannot get out of it be clicking on
the "X" in the upper right hand corner nor can I do anyting
else. My only option is to do a "CTL-ALT-DEL" and get the
menu and "end task" for Outlook.

Does anyone know how I can delete this email message? I
suspect that it is some kind of virus or worm but I am not
sure. If anyone has a suggestion, don't send me an email
because I don't think I am going to be able to open it. If
you need to call me, my telephone number is 214-739-6390.

Thanks.

 

[Bill Wesson]

Thanks for your reply. With all of the viruses and worms
recently, I was afraid I had another one. It turns out
that the email message I received apparently wanted to
display something that required a more recent level of
Interet Explorer than I had. It really was trying to get
me to do a Windows Update. However, since I was afraid of
a virus or worm, I decided to get out of Outlook and update
Internet Explorer by invoking Windows Update myself.

When I did that and then brought up Outlook again, I could
delete the message.

Thanks for telling me how to bring up Outlook without the
Preview pane. That might be helpful in the future.

Thanks.

-----Original Message-----
Can you access your menu toolbar? If yes, under the View Menu, turn off the
preview pane. If not, then close Outlook, then start->run->Outlook.exe
/nopreviewpane. This will start Outlook without the Preview Pane so you can
delete the mail safely.

Second, update your Outlook 2000 to at least SP-2 to guard against this type
of mail. While you are at it, go to

windowsupdate.microsoft.com and update

your entire computer. The fact that this is trying to get you to go to a
web site indicates that several security fixes have not been applied to your
machine.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.


After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer
Bill Wesson <[email protected]> asked:

| I use Outlook 2000. This afternoon I received an email
| message (now it is at the top of the list and the cursor
| has automatically selected it) which appears to want me to
| do a Windows Update. It is asking me to select a download
| site (the only option I have is to select a region of
| "North America" and a site of "Web site - Windows Update")
| and to click "OK". I cannot get out of it be clicking on
| the "X" in the upper right hand corner nor can I do anyting
| else. My only option is to do a "CTL-ALT-DEL" and get the
| menu and "end task" for Outlook.
|
| Does anyone know how I can delete this email message? I
| suspect that it is some kind of virus or worm but I am not
| sure. If anyone has a suggestion, don't send me an email
| because I don't think I am going to be able to open it. If
| you need to call me, my telephone number is 214-739-6390.
|
| Thanks.


.