Running Norton Anti-Virus (fully updated) and Windows XP.

If the anti-virus software catches a bug in some e-mail - and then erases it before sending you a report about having done so.............is the e-mail readable? or should it just be sent direct to the recycle bin anyway?

I would have thought it would place in the Quarantine folder - unless you specified otherwise. To get to it open NAV, go to reports, then click on view report next to quarantined items - whatever NAV detected should be there. (the precise way you access this quarantined area depends on your version of software but it works with version 9 (2002?).

hth

Ah - maybe bad phraseology on my part there.

When I say "Is it readable...", I don't mean "how do I get into it", I mean "Is it safe to read"

The question is really, does the AV software do its stuff and make the mail safe enough to open with infecting the computer.

I have noted however, that today is the first day that I've been approached by the SoBig virus - and I've received at least fifteen of them this morning. They are all from UNKNOWN addresses and all sent to just one of my six e-mail services.

I thought a virus was sent from the address book of an infected computer - if I don't know any one of the fifteen (so far) virus senders, then why is my address inside their computer - and why only one service (and one which I rarely use at all)?

I mean "Is it safe to read"

Why on earth would you want to ? The 'message' is of no consequence, it's just there to transport the virus.

I thought a virus was sent from the address book of an infected computer - if I don't know any one of the fifteen (so far) virus senders, then why is my address inside their computer

Typical viruses use both a 'from' and 'to' address culled from an infected system's .pab file. The one you received is from someone who has both your address and the senders' addresses, the apparent sender is a spoof.