# I opened the email, but not the attachment. Is my computer infected?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-opened-the-email-but-not-the-attachment-is-my-computer-infected/163539>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 23, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-opened-the-email-but-not-the-attachment-is-my-computer-infected/163539 "2003-03-23T10:40:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_great\_dalmuti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b2d939/32.png) [@the\_great\_dalmuti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_great_dalmuti)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-opened-the-email-but-not-the-attachment-is-my-computer-infected/163539/1 "2003-03-23T10:40:32Z")

</div>

I recently recived an email with the attachment  
“postal\_de\_mi\_alma.cpl”, which I promptly looked up on google, and discovered it was a virus. Obviously, I didn’t open the attachment. But is simply opening up the mail enough to unleash the virus on my computer?

Thanks in advance.

-TGD

ps - If opening up the email was enough to infect my computer with the virus, what should I do next?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-opened-the-email-but-not-the-attachment-is-my-computer-infected/163539/2 "2003-03-23T10:59:04Z")

</div>

Probably not, but do a virus scan of your system just in case.

[Info from Symantec.](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.kitro.c.worm.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CelraySoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@CelraySoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelraySoda)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-opened-the-email-but-not-the-attachment-is-my-computer-infected/163539/3 "2003-03-23T11:11:34Z")

</div>

AntiVir 9x with the Luke Filewalker virus checking program always worked for me. It tells you even when one is detected. It was free last time I downloaded it. Hope it helps.