SULFNBK.EXE VIRUS HOAX


The "sulfnbk.exe" virus warning email is a hoax.

Sulfnbk.exe is part of Windows 98 (and perhaps some other
versions of Windows), which is why it might be on your
computer.  You should not delete it.

Fortunately, it is not an especially important part
of Windows.  It is a tool for use when backing up and
restoring files with long file names by using backup
programs that either don't handle long file names or run
in Win-9x "DOS mode."  If you don't need to do that, you
won't miss sulfnbk.exe.

You'll probably never see an email that says something like
"SEND THIS E MAIL TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK"
which is not a hoax.  Emails that ask you to forward them
on to lots of other people are almost always at least
partially false, and most are complete hoaxes.

For info about this particular hoax, see:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/sulfnbk.htm
or http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/sulfnbk.exe.warning.html
or search the usual hoax-buster and anti-virus sites.

For some good (he sez modestly) virus avoidance advice,
see http://www.burtonsys.com/virus_advice.html

-Dave


P.S. - This hoax email looks something like this (though there
are many similar variants):

> Subject: WARNING - VIRUS SENT TO US!
>
> There is a virus titled: sulfnbk.exe which we received and may have
> inadvertantly sent on to you encoded in an e-mail. We found it (it
> resides in your address book) and dumped it into our recycle bin.
> This is the way to remove it from yours:
>
> 1. go to start. then to find or search
> 2. in the search for files or folders, type sulfnbk.exe- this is the
> name of the virus
> 3. In the look-in section, make sure you are searching the C drive
> 4. Hit the search or find
> 5. If your search finds this file, it will be an ugly blackish icon
> that will have the name sulfnbk.exe. DO NOT OPEN IT>
> 6. RIGHT click on the file. Go down to delete and LEFT click.
> 7. You will be asked if you want to send the file to the recycle bin
>        SAY YES
> 8. Go to your desk top (where all your icons are) and right click on
> the recyle bin. Either manually delete the sulfnbk.exe program or
> empty the entire bin.
> 9.If  you found this virius on your system, send to all in your
> address book, because this is how it is transferred.
> 10. If it does not show up on your first search, try a new search.
>
> THIS VIRUS LIES DORMANT FOR 14 DAYS AND THEN KILLS YOUR HARD DRIVE.
> IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SEE THAT YOU HAVE THE VIRUS YOU
> NEED TO SEND THIS E MAIL TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
> we apologize, and are very sorry. Thanks