Virus checking old emails

[swh]

I have had a virus checker on my machine for ages, but one thing I have not been able to is to get one that that will check old messages in the email for viruses, they only see to want to check incomming and outgoing emails.

Anyone know how I could do this ?

[BOAC]

AFAIK, most virus progs offer an 'Explorer' type display where you can highlight folders/files or drives and check them for viruses (mine does). I'm sure one of our resident experts will correct me if I'm wrong, but if you highlight the message store folder (In OE, 'Tools'/'Options'/'Maintenance'/Store Folder' will direct you) and select 'check for virus' that should do it? Any dubious attachments you just want to check? You can follow the advice on the thread about that on this forum.

[swh]

BOAC,

What I was not sure about is that once an email is in the email database of outlook will a virus checker pick up its signature or will the signature change with the compression into the database.

My thought was a databse of compressed virus attachments would look different to a virus scanner than a series of files, a be it a single incomming email, or a single file on a hard drive.

Thats why I was looking to see how old messages could be checked.

[Blacksheep]

My copy of Norton can be set to check compressed files swh, and has successfully found a couple of viruses in such compressed files.

On the subject of Outlook, I used to be a Netscape fan so I never used it; I always used other e-mail programmes and even Web-mail services such as Rocketmail and Hotmail. Since I've been virtually forced into using Internet Explorer I still didn't use Outlook until recently, when I got a Pocket PC. The Pocket PC software uses Outlook to synchronize the contacts list in the iPAQ with my notebook. Is Outlook safe these days or is it still the leaky pile of code of legend, just like Messenger?

[swh]

BS,

MS would never write code that leaks

:p

[Blacksheep]

So why is there a puddle under my desk? I'm too young for incontinence... ;)