Subject: same problem

From: prieznik <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 05 Aug 1997 06:03:35 -0300

hello, i'm in buenos aires, argentina. have the same problem barry has:
i'm quoting him:

"I've started receiving mail containing two parts.  The first part is
usually a few lines of ASCII text.  The second part is about 2.9KB
long and PINE 3.91 identifies it as application/MS-TNEF.  The only
thing I can do with the second part is save it to a file.  The headers
show that the sender is using Microsoft Mail.  I asked someone who
sent me such a message what he was doing.  He was a computer novice
and didn't know.  Several messages from him had the attachment and
several didn't.  He didn't indicate he had done anything different
when sending the mail without the attachment.

So, what is the MS-TNEF attachment?  Why is it called an application?
What causes it to be sent?  Is it necessary?  If not, how can it be
avoided?

Thanks,
Barry"

please tell what can i do. need to know how to read the
"application/ms-tnef". thanks a lot,
	pablo

---

From: "Robin S. Socha" <[email-masked]>
Date: 05 Aug 1997 12:52:56 +0200

>> "p" == prieznik  <[email-masked]> writes:

p> hello, i'm in buenos aires, argentina. have the same problem barry
p> has: i'm quoting him:
[*bzzzzzzzzz*]
p> So, what is the MS-TNEF attachment?

It's a virus. It's a message from Satan, too. You need to read it
backwards: FENT-SM. See? It's a message from Gill Bates, so you've got
to be very careful. Maybe your computer has been infected already.

p> Why is it called an application?

Because it applies dangerous stuff to your system, like fatal protection
errors, memory leaks, Winword and so on.

p> What causes it to be sent?

If we knew, we'd try to find a cure. Right now, we don't know,
but we're working on it.

p> Is it necessary?

No.

p> If not, how can it be avoided?

You need to clean your hard disk. Boot from a clean floppy and type:

	format c: /u /backup

If you're getting strange messages like "all your data will be lost",
your system has been infected already. Don't listen to that stuff. Go
ahead and reformat your hard disk. It's the only save way to prevent
the FENT-SM virus from spreading to other systems.

I'm not sure that helps, but...

-- 
Robin S. Socha, M.A.
Political Science Dept., Bonn University, Bonn

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction...

---

From: Edward M Greshko <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:59:29 +0800 (GMT)

> What causes it to be sent?  Is it necessary?  If not, how can it be

Well, sometime truth is stranger than fiction, and then again fiction
can become an "Urban Legion".  I think Robin has the makings for a good
one.  :-)

Anyway, MS-TNEF is a Mirosoft creation.  It is a propietary Rich Text
format which MSMail understands/creates which allow you to send bold
text, color text, etc..  

Is it necessary?  Certainly not.

The sender can avoid sending it by looking over the options menu in their
MSMail setup.  Somewhere in there is a check-box which will diable sending
of the MS-TNEF piece.  It is unchecked by default.

Sorry I can't be more explicit as to where the box is to be found.   I
never intentionally use any Microsoft products.  I only use them out of
necessity.

Ed

-- 
Edward M. Greshko                  Technical Manager, Electronic Commerce
                                   Control Data Asia/Pacific Region
Voice: +886-2-715-2222 x287        6/F, 131 Nanking East Road, Section 3
FAX  : +886-2-712-9197             Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C

---

From: Mike Brudenell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 16:45:12 +0100 (BST)

It's been a long, hard day here so please excuse this momentary
diversionary thought whilst I quietly crack up... 

> can become an "Urban Legion".  I think Robin has the makings for a good

I presume Ed actually means "Urban Legend"?

That said, it is interesting to note that "Urban Legion" is an anagram of
"urbane lingo"... 

    urbane: Having imperturbable good manners, suave, courteous
    lingo:  Language

A suitable description for the Robin Socha we all know and love?  I leave
you to decide!  (Hi, Robin! ;-)

Cheers,

-- 
Mike Brudenell                                         <[email-masked]>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Computing Service, University of York, Heslington, York, YO1 5DD, UK
Tel: +44-1904-433811  FAX: +44-1904-433740  http://www.york.ac.uk/~pmb1/

* Unsolicited commercial e-mail is NOT welcome at this e-mail address. *

---

From: Edward M Greshko <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 23:53:14 +0800 (GMT)

> I presume Ed actually means "Urban Legend"?

Good presumption!  In my case it is too early in the day....  :-)

> you to decide!  (Hi, Robin! ;-)

Isn't it interesting how things turn out even funnier than you intended?

Thanks's Mike.  Now I can face my 17 hour flight back to Taipei with a
smile on my face!

---

From: Dave Grisham <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 10:56:48 -0600 (MDT)

Is there anyone using the PC Pine client with PGP?  We at UNM use Pine and
would like to add encryption to the product.  Any help would be
appreciated.
Cheers. --grish
   Dr. David D. Grisham, Security Admin. Phone (505) 277-8032 FAX 277-8101
   Computer & Information Resources & Technology  Internet [email-masked]
   Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131  http://www.unm.edu/~dave