Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Computer question.

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Aug 2007 17:19

Oh my goodness! So are all Zip files questionable? M. Steer

Clive

Clive Report 1 Aug 2007 16:59

Margaret Yes That is why they are sent as zip files! They will not infect your pc until you unzip (open) them. Clive

Horatia

Horatia Report 1 Aug 2007 16:28

Margaret, Zip files have been compressed so that they don't take so long travelling around the internet and they should download quicker. If the file is legitimate from someone you know (check first) Windows XP can open them without a special programme. You normally right click on the file and a menu will come up and you will see an option to open or extract the files I think. Can't practise because I don't have a zip file on my PC to practise on at the moment. Cheers, Horatia

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Aug 2007 16:22

Clive, are you saying, that with all my Security, a zipped file can contain a virus without being detected? M. Steer

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Aug 2007 16:18

You've really 'put the wind up me' now. I'm always careful (even suspicious) with e-mails, downloads etc. Unfortunately, the rest of my family are not! After receiving this e-mail I immediately did a 'full scan' - so far everything seems O.K. I still, though, don't understand anything about Zip files. M. Steer

Clive

Clive Report 1 Aug 2007 16:02

I have just re-read the first message. I think you may have been scratching around and have found the icons. In which case they are th eprogrammes used to open files sent you which have been zipped. Zipped is a way of compressing files to make them smaller to send around. Before they can be read they have to be unzipped. The joy to black hats is that if they send you a zip file the anti virus can not detect the virus until you open it - too late!!! C

Clive

Clive Report 1 Aug 2007 15:57

Whoa - do not open any such file unless you were expecting it from somebody you trust. There are a lot of really, really nasty zip and pdf files around at the moment. It really does matter that you do not open any such file unless pre-warned they are coming. Clive

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Aug 2007 15:20

I'm not touching them! I would though, like to know a bit more about them. I've received an e-mail with an attachment. When I 'opened' the attachment, it was a Zip File. I didn't have a clue what to do with it. M. Steer

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Aug 2007 14:18

Could anyone tell me (in simple terms please) about WinZip and/or WinRar? I have them on my computer but have no idea how to/why I should, use them. Thanks, M. Steer