The I LOVE YOU Virus

There ain't no love
in this little bug!
If you receive email with a subject line with the phrase ILOVEYOU (all one word, no spaces) in it… DON'T OPEN the attachment named Love-Letter-For-You.txt.vbs.

Over a five-hour period, during May 4, 2000, this virus spread across Asia, Europe and the United States via e-mail messages titled "ILOVEYOU." The menace clogged Web servers, overwrote personal files and caused corporate IT managers to shut down e-mail systems.

A scan of the Visual Basic code included in the attachment reveals that the virus may be corrupting MP3 and JPEG files on users' hard drives, as well as mIRC, a version of Internet Relay Chat. It also appears to reset the default start page for Internet Explorer.

This virus arrives as e-mail with the subject line "I Love You" and an attachment named "Love-Letter-For-You.txt.vbs." Opening the attachment infects your computer. The infection first scans your PC's memory for passwords, which are sent back to the virus's creator (a Web site in the Philippines which has since been shut down). The infection then replicates itself to everyone in your Outlook address book. Finally, the infection corrupts files ending with .vbs, .vbe, .js, .css, .wsh, .sct, .hta, .jpg, .jpeg, .mp2, .mp3 by overwriting them with a copy of itself.

You can get this bug in only one way. If you receive an email with an attachment with the name Love-Letter-For-You.txt.vbs and you execute it, by double clicking on the attachment, you will get infected. Don't execute it, just delete it and you will be fine.


How to keep from becoming
infected by this bug
Of course, first and foremost, never open any email attachment that you are uncertain of. That said, I strongly recommended that if you do not use Visual Basic scripting , (Most Don't) you should turn this option off. To do so:
Click your start button
Click on Settings
Click on Control Panel
Double-Click on the Add/Remove Programs icon
Click on the Windows Setup tab
Click on Accessories to obtain the details
Uncheck Windows Scripting Host if it is checked
Click "ok" to save any changes
Remember, the above will only protect you from the ILOVEYOU virus, and it's variants. Other viruses can still get to your computer.
Variations on the ILOVEYOU virus are already hitting the net. The only sure way to protect yourself from email viruses is, DON'T OPEN ATTACHMENTS even if sent by someone you know. See the links on the upper left of this page for more information.





If you think you are infected
By now all the anti-virus companies have updates for the ILOVEYOU bug and can detect if your computer is infected. Click Here for a list of many of the companies that produce virus diction and removal products.
If your computer is infected you can delete the following files from your infected system:

MSKernel32.vbs in the Windows System directory
Win32DLL.vbs in the Windows directory
LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs in the Windows System
WinFAT32.EXE in the Internet download directory
script.ini in the mIRC directory




If you need more help E-Mail Me





Special Notice For
TCO customers
Those of you who are customers of TCO “Tehama County Online” please note that the good folks at TCO have implemented a filter that will block this virus from your computer. You just don't have to worry about this problem.


TCO is by-far one of the best ISPs in the business! Visit them at: TCO.NET








--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use the above procedures
at your own risk!
J.R. has been building and repairing computers for over 25 years, and has personally used the above procedure on many computers. Each computer is different and the competence of the user can vary. J.R. Whipple, in no way warrants the above procedure, nor can he be held responsible for any problems, loss of data, loss of business, or any other damages caused by the application of the above procedure. If you are not comfortable with the above procedure, DON'T DO IT. If you need help please contact J.R. Whipple & Associates before attempting the above procedure.
The best virus protection is a good Anti-Virus program. Click Here for a list of many of the anti-virus companies.

I hope this helps you keep and maintain a proper and safely running computer. If you have any computer related questions or needs, feel free to call or Email Me.