August means it's back-to-school season and a great time for all of us to study something new. This issue starts with a cautionary lesson on e-mail scams tied to the Beijing Olympics. You'll also learn the "ins and outs" of e-mail - how to keep unwanted e-mail addresses from being automatically added to your address book, and how to quickly add the ones you do want. The learning continues in Great Sites. Discover the resources that help you check on malfunctioning websites, investigate video games, find a drive-in theater, enhance classroom experiences, and recover missing money.
Question: Whenever I reply to an e-mail message, the e-mail address I replied to is added to my e-mail program's address book. My address book is filling up with lots of e-mail addresses that I really don't want in there. How can I prevent these e-mail addresses from automatically being added? My e-mail program is Outlook Express 6 and I'm using Windows XP Home Edition for my computer operating system.
Answer: There is a setting in Outlook Express 6 for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Mail for Windows Vista Home Premium that will automatically add the name and e-mail address of a person to your address book or contacts list when you reply to that person's e-mail - provided that person is not already in your address book or contacts list. This feature can cause your address book or contacts list to fill up rather quickly. To change this setting so that contact information is only added to your address book at your discretion, follow these steps:
1. Open Outlook Express 6 or Windows Mail.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Options" from the resulting drop-down menu. The Options window will open.
3. Click on the "Send" tab. Uncheck the box next to "Automatically
put people I reply to in my Address Book" for Outlook Express 6 or the box next to "Automatically put people I reply to in my Contacts list" for Windows Mail.
4. Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to save the setting and close the Options window.
Note: See the "Short Tutorial" section below for shortcut steps on quickly adding received e-mail addresses to your address book.
Major news events often serve as a hook for e-mail scams, and this month's Beijing Olympics is no exception. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has received reports of phishing activity, some linked to Storm Worm, that uses Olympic-themed messages. This Trojan is spread via an e-mail claiming the Olympics will be delayed or canceled because of the May earthquake in China. The message contains a link to a malicious website which tricks visitors into clicking on what looks like an embedded flash video player. In reality, it leads to the download of the executable file "beijing.exe" that can infect the user's system with a Trojan.
US-CERT encourages users to take the following preventative measures to mitigate the security risks:
- Install anti-virus software and keep its virus signature files up-to-date.
- Do not follow unsolicited web links received in e-mail messages.
For more "computer security at home" tips, go to http://onguardonline.gov/index.html.
Also watch for other e-mail scams that are currently "playing games" with the Olympics. They include a fake notice that you've won a large sum of money in a lottery organized by the Chinese Olympic Committee for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and bogus websites offering tickets to events.
In this month's "Your Local Help Desk" section, we explained how to keep unwanted e-mail addresses from automatically filling up your address book. But how do you quickly add the addresses you do want to store? Simply follow the steps below for your e-mail software program, and your address book will stay relevant, current, and convenient.
Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Outlook Express 6.0
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition
1. With Outlook Express open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
2. Select "Tools" from the menu bar.
3. Select "Add Sender to Address Book" from the drop-down menu.
Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Windows Mail
- Computer Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
1. With Windows Mail open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your Contacts list.
2. Select "Tools" from the menu bar.
3. Select "Add Sender to Contacts" from the drop-down menu.
Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Thunderbird 2.0
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Mac OS X 10.4
1. With Thunderbird open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
2. Left click on and hold the "From" header. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. Click on "Add to Address Book..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
4. The address book will open with a new contact including the information from the e-mail. Fill in any other details you would like for this contact and then click on "OK" to save and exit.
Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Apple's Mail 2.1.1 and Address Book 4.0.4
- Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4
1. With Mail open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "Message" menu.
3. Select "Add Sender to Address Book" from the resulting drop-down menu.
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©2008 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.
In this edition:
Your Local Help Desk
E-mail Scam
Tech Tips & Tricks
Free Internet Classes
Sites of the Month
Free Internet Classes
Browsing Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (library)
August 18th, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Melrose High School
Media Center (library)
August 20th, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Call to register:
256-7471
764-7600
597-3333
548-3200
Sites of the Month
Is It Just Me?
This entirely self-descriptive
website allows you to find out if you're unable to access other
websites because of a malfunction in your system or theirs. Type in
any URL and get instant feedback as to whether or not the site is
actually "down." If so, there's nothing to do but wait it out. If
not, it might be time to call your favorite computer geek.
Survery What They Play
If you want to make sure your kids are playing appropriate video games, get to know this invaluable online resource. The site is loaded with information about thousands of
video games, including reviews from experts and comments from readers. Find out which games are most popular and which ones are
new. You can search for suitable games based on brand, genre, age,
and rating, or even post your own comments.
Drive In For Big Fun
Quick! Before summer ends, check out a drive-in movie! Use this website, "dedicated to the history,
preservation and promotion of outdoor theatres," to help you find a
drive-in (BIG screen) movie theater in your area. View photos and
find contact information for drive-ins in the U.S., Canada, and
Australia. Don't forget to stop by the "Reminiscing at the Drive-in"
page to read letters from those with fond drive-in memories.
School Support
This back-to-school season, consider providing help to a struggling school. Pick a local classroom, or have the site pick one for you, and donate funds that can be used for supplies, educational games, and other materials. If you are a teacher, you can use the site to register your classroom for
assistance. Or start a program in your school or community. With
teachers spending an average of $1,200 per year of their own money
for classroom materials, they can use all the help they can get.
Find Funds Fast
A search on this site could prove to be the rainbow that leads to your pot of gold. MissingMoney.com features a database of records showing unclaimed assets required to be turned over to states. Examples of assets that might be waiting for you include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, bank accounts, safe deposit box
contents, uncashed checks, insurance policies, utility deposits, and unclaimed tax, retirement, or mortgage insurance refunds. The
interface is easy to use and returns results within seconds.