# List of email addys in root directory

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-email-addys-in-root-directory/391666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-email-addys-in-root-directory/391666 "2007-02-10T23:23:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-email-addys-in-root-directory/391666/1 "2007-02-10T23:23:37Z")

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My computer virus protection keeps popping up windows saying that it stopped and deleted a virus. I does it several times a day, even when not surfing. I suspect I have one and its picking up the virus trying to replicate or something.

I went browsing through “my computer” and noticed a text document (“as.txt”) in my C directory. In looking at it, it’s just a HUGE list of email addresses. As far as I can tell, its a list of addresses from emails that both my wife and I have read (and possibly sent) out of our separate accounts. Sound familiar to anyone?

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**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-email-addys-in-root-directory/391666/2 "2007-02-11T00:46:24Z")

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Sounds like someone has slipped a Trojan (or some other piece of malware) into your system that is trying to use your box as a mail relay for spam or to spread itself.

It sounds like your virus software is deleting it, or thinks it is, but it keeps coming back. That means that at least part of it is not getting deleted, so it pops back up again.

Sometimes different virus software is more effective against a given threat, so you might try one of the online scanners. I use TrendMicro’s Housecall, which you can run from this link:

> **[HouseCall – Free Online Security Scan](https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/forHome/products/housecall.html)**
>
> Detect and fix viruses, worms, spyware, and other malicious threats for free.

Also you may want to make sure your firewall is blocking outgoing SMTP except for your email client (if you use one).

You can also try HijackThis:

> **[Hijackthis.com | Spyware Removal | Internet Security | Registry Clean-up](https://www.hijackthis.com/)**
>
> Welcome to the official site of HijackThis.com. If you have been infected by a browser hijacker or similar malware threat, or are having other problems with

but it does take some knowledge to use.

Good luck!