Using Outlook Express and getting my email through Hotmail, is there a safe way to open a suspicious email message? Is right clicking the message and clicking on Properties, the same as opening the email message? Would this still let any possibly malware invade my system? I would guess about 99% of the junk email is spam and I don't open them, but some of them look like they could be valid emails and I would like to check them.
Hi PC_confused,
In OE Options, Read tab, put a checkmark next to "Read all messages in plain text." Then open the Security tab and configure the settings as shown below. "OK" your way out. Don't open attachments, and you will be safe. See this article for a fuller explanation:
http://surfthenetsafely.com/reademailsafely.htm
SoJ,
Thanks for the information. Can you comment on the OP's question:
<< Is right clicking the message and clicking on Properties, the same as opening the email message? Would this still let any possibly malware invade my system? >>
For a number of reasons I prefer to receive our email in HTML format but both for myself and particularly when my wife asks about something she is suspicious of, I use the technique of Right Mouse Click / Properties > Details > Message Source which seems to give a plain text version and shows details of any links.
If I'm reporting phishing to a bank etc then I CTRL+A / Copy and paste the source into a Forward email to the bank's phishing address.
So I'm interested on the general safety of doing that .....
PC_confused,
Thanks for asking ....
Do you have the Status Bar enabled on Outlook Express under View in the Menu bar? This I find very useful since when I hold the mouse pointer over a link -- without clicking -- it shows in the Status Bar where it actually goes to and sometimes you can see very easily that this is not from the address shown in the link in the message.
The same Status Bar is available in Internet Explorer if you right mouse click on the Toolbar.
SendOfJive - Thanks for the link. It has a lot of information on Microsofts Outlook Express options. Maybe I can find a way to make the same thing happen in Hotmail.
huwyngr - When I went to SendOfJive's link and read under the section "Read Text Only", I think it does suggest using the right click, properties, details, message source, method of reading mail. I tried it and I didn't see any message, just the header information.
huwyngr wrote:I use the technique of Right Mouse Click / Properties > Details > Message Source which seems to give a plain text version and shows details of any links.
This technique is mentioned at the end of the article in the link I provided. Insofar as the message is opened in plain text it is very safe, and a good way to check suspect messages while still leaving HTML enabled globally as you prefer.
PC_confused - if you scroll down far enough in message source you will see the body of the email message. Maximizing the Window helps, too.
Hello PC_confused
I can see the messages when I do what you just said you did.
PC_confused wrote:
[ ... ]
huwyngr - When I went to SendOfJive's link and read under the section "Read Text Only", I think it does suggest using the right click, properties, details, message source, method of reading mail. I tried it and I didn't see any message, just the header information.
That's odd -- I just checked both a Norton Forum subscription advice and an advertising email and both show the text of the message that you see in Outlook Explress. For example (without the header and my email address:
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--MIMEBoundary3273e9db83dc226b631d1ed5f99ddf5b
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
===========================================
CompUSA.com: Don't You Dare Pay More!
===========================================
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Click below to see the deals:
http://www.compusa.com/email/compusa/COMEM591.asp?SRCCODE=COMEM591TT&cm_mmc=Email-_-Main-_-COMEM591-_-email
Regards,
CompUSA
Deal Alert Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERMISSION SETTINGS:
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Our records indicate we have your permission to send email to the following address:
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If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE click here or go to:
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Thanks to all.... I should have gone to full screen or scrolled all the way down, to read the message content. It works.
Understood!
Now to hear SoJ's opinion on relative safety ....
huwyngr wrote:Understood!
Now to hear SoJ's opinion on relative safety ....
Avoid your relatives at all costs.
Actually if you are referring to my earlier use of the phrase "very safe" I could have said "completely safe" but you know what happens as soon as you state that something can be relied upon with absolute certainty.... 
SoJ,
Sorry not to have followed up on your link but I thought it was giving more information on getting plain text messages so I skipped it .....
I was referring to the dangers of absolutism, not the character of your relatives .....
Speaking of relatives, and my point regarding relative safety, the xkcd.com webcomic site posted this cartoon today right on cue:
HI SendOfJive,
That's a good one! 
Allen