# What's an eml file? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843 "2002-08-14T13:28:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/1 "2002-08-14T13:28:58Z")
I just received this e-mail: > [@](#): > > **Mail Delivery System\<[MAILER-DAEMON@ix.netcom.com](mailto:MAILER-DAEMON@ix.netcom.com)\>** > > This message was created automatically by mail delivery software (Exim). > > A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients.This is a permanent error. The following address(es) [mailed:atl@essential-oil.org](mailto:mailed:atl@essential-oil.org) > > For further assistance, please contact \< [postmaster@ix.netcom.com](mailto:postmaster@ix.netcom.com) \>If you do so, please include this problem report. You can delete your own text from the message returned below. > > Copy of your message, including all the headers is attached There is a file attached called swami.eml which ostensibly contains “a copy of my message”. Naturally, I’ve deleted the mail. There is no reason why I would contact “[essential-oil.org](http://essential-oil.org)”, and I’ve never heard of them. This is a spam that may contain a virus or something. But I’m curious to know if anyone else has received this e-mail, and what the attachment does. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/2 "2002-08-14T13:52:18Z")
> [@](#): > > .EML MS Outlook Express Electronic Mail \<[http://service.bfast.com/bfast/serve?bfmid=31684497&siteid=39065523&bfpage=officexp](http://service.bfast.com/bfast/serve?bfmid=31684497&siteid=39065523&bfpage=officexp)\> [Buy Office XP at Shop.Microsoft] > Note: .EML files with “funny” names in multiple folders implies the Nimda worm. > QuickMail Pro [http://filext.com/](http://filext.com/) Great site to bookmark. I use it often. ---
**Author:** ![AZCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@AZCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZCowboy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/3 "2002-08-14T15:06:20Z")
As **Reeder’s** post suggests, the \*.eml message type is an email format, used by MS Outlook Express (and apparently QuickMail Pro). The format includes not only the body of the message, but the headers as well. It stores the body as a text message, as well as the original format (such as RTF or HTML). What is a bit scary, however, is that the error message is generated because it assumed that you tried to SEND that message, yet you claim to have never heard of [essential-oil.org](http://essential-oil.org). That could indicate that you have a virus. Make your your A/V software is up to date, and run a scan. It could also indicate that someone else, whom you’ve exchanged email with, has a virus. Some viruses now use email addresses they find and use them as sent FROM: addresses. So if you don’t have a virus, I suspect that someone you know does. Good Luck. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/4 "2002-08-14T15:58:25Z")
Now that I think of it… One of my co-workers is into burning scented oils. I _know_ I have never tried to send anything to “[essential-oils.org](http://essential-oils.org)”, but she may have. Also, we use Outlook at work and I’ve sent e-mails from my home computer to her work computer. We use Norton at work, and it is updated frequently. I guess I should have not deleted the message, so I could try to trace the path. Did I purge my deleted e-mails yet? I’ll have to look when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/5 "2002-08-14T17:14:47Z")
It could also have been Klez–it works by picking two addresses from your address book. One becomes the recipient and the other is the forged return address. The upshot is that just about everyone you know gets the bounced mails and angry complaints than you… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/6 "2002-08-14T17:25:16Z")
All the email is saying is that an email that was sent using your email address was received. Your email address could be in anyone’s address book and may have absolutely nothing to do with you or your computer. If you emailed Person A, and they forwarded it to Person B, then your email address might be on Person B’s machine. Then when Person B got Klez, an email was sent ostensibly from your address. Always good to check if you have the worm, but I wouldn’t assume you do based on that email. I get bounce-back messages all the time for stuff I never sent. ---
**Author:** ![Jdeforrest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@Jdeforrest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jdeforrest)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/7 "2002-08-14T18:35:54Z")
Another good site to search file extensions is: [www.extsearch.com](http://www.extsearch.com) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-an-eml-file/123843/8 "2002-08-15T04:11:28Z")
I bought the newest version of Norton AntiVirus today. (Pain in the ass – It wouldn’t install over the previous version, so I had to delete the old one manually.) It found one virus: W31.Yaha.F@mm. (If that comes up as a link, ignore it.) It was in the trash folder, which means I didn’t open it. It’s gone. I suppose I should have sent it to Earthlink so they could trace it back and try to catch the guy, but I don’t like anything like that on my computer.