How to set up MSWord not to disseminate viruses

save in RTF format | do not pass Word97 files without re-save as RTF

The files saved in the default format of MS Word 97 contain code in Visual Basic. This fact immediately attracted the creators of computer viruses. Now there are more than 3,000 viruses that may infect MS Word 97 files and with time their number grows exponentially.

The protection against this kind of viruses is incredibly simple.

Why do you need to save your documents as a program in Visual Basic? Are you a programmer or what?

RULE #ONE:

NEVER SAVE YOUR MS WORD DOCUMENTS IN THE DEFAULT FORMAT FOR MS WORD 97. SIMPLY NEVER!

It is sufficient to save your documents in the Rich Text (RTF) Format. This file format does not use Visual Basic and no virus can be passed with such files.

To save your MS Word documents in the Rich Text Format (RTF) format, you should set the defaults for saving in the following way:

1. Select "File" then "Save As".

2. In "Save as type" drop-down menu select "Rich Text Format".
Some of MSWord programs have the option "Word 97 & 6.0/95 - RTF (*.doc)" - you may select this instead.

3. Next, in "Save As" hit the button "Options...".

4. You will get the "Save" dialog box. Here, in the "Save Word files as" drop-down menu, select "Rich Text Format" and hit "OK" button. Now this type of files, "Rich Text Format" is stored as the default for saving all your documents.

The extensions of your document files will now be RTF. If you prefer retaining the DOC extension for your files, change RTF to DOC in the Filename box of the SAVE AS dialog box and surround the filename with double quotes like "paper.doc"

Your documents in RTF format will have the size 2-3 times smaller than they used to before this change, and no virus will be able to attach itself to the documents. When saving documents in this way, MSWord will warn you that you have lost the possibility to create animated text and the ability to write in Japanese and Chinese in Unicode. It will not mention about the lost chance to infect the users of your document.

RULE #2:

Do not pass Word97 documents !!!

If you dared to open somebody else's document, re-save it as the RTF format. You may be sure that that somebody's document has been saved in the most infection susceptible Word97 format. When you re-save it in RTF, you cut the way of possible infection propagation.

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