Barbara, A virus cannot be introduced into your computer by opening and reading an e-mail, but an e-mail message may invite you to download something, sometimes by offering you something attractive like "free information". If you accept the invitation and download something, that can bring a virus with it. In fact, the download could consist of nothing but the virus program itself. Now a question for the computer experts - is it possible to design an e-mail that automatically downloads something when the e-mail is opened? I don't think so, but I have heard some conflicting remarks on this. Paul M.