Yahoo Mail can be accessed directly through your web browser, without the need for email-specific software installed directly on your personal computer (PC). This type of browser-based email is referred to as webmail. A key benefit of using Yahoo Mail through webmail is that your email messages can be scanned for malicious viruses before the virus can touch your PC and cause any significant damage. As a Yahoo Mail user, virus scanning is turned on automatically, making it effortless to use on your attachments.
Step 1
Open Yahoo Mail. Use your Yahoo! user ID and password to sign in to Yahoo Mail. Open the email message suspected of containing a virus.
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Step 2
Find attachments. The attached files are in the header section above the body of the email. The names of the attachments will appear as blue, active hyperlinks, taking on the actual saved file name given by the sender.
Step 3
Initiate automatic virus scanning and cleaning. Look for another link labeled "Scan and Download Attachment" and click it. If this link does not show, you may have to click directly on the attachment's file name. Look for the alert "Scanning attachment for viruses." The alert may appear for less than a second, dependent upon the size of the file; if you miss the brief message it is not important.
Step 4
Wait and read results. After the virus scan completes, if no virus is detected, you will be given the go-ahead to download the attachment. If a virus is detected, Yahoo Mail will try to automatically clean the attachment, and then present the option to download.
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- Yahoo! Mail: What are virus scanning and virus cleaning?
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- Yahoo! Mail: How do I download an attachment?
- PCWorld.com: Remember thy antivirus software and keep it updated
- Yahoo! Mail: If my file has a virus, does that mean my computer is infected?