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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Norton AntiVirus alert - emlx file???

minicoopertx - Dec 30, 2006 - 6:52 pm

Lately, I've been getting alerts from Norton AntiVirus that say "The compressed archive 72214.emlx is infected. It could not be repaired."

I've searched all over my mac for a file that ends in "emlx" and can't find one. I've checked Norton's quarantine file, and it's empty. I can't find anything on the net that mentions an "emlx" file or what it might do.

I get these alerts several times per day, each time the number of the filename is a bit larger. Any ideas?

earthsaver - Dec 30, 2006 - 8:21 pm

emlx is the type of file Mac OS X now uses for email messages in Mail. You'll find them in the Message folders in each mailbox for each of your accounts in ~/Library/Mail/. So, for example, open the Mail folder in your LIbrary and then enter 72214 in the Search box. (By default, Spotlight doesn't include any Library in its search unless you specify it.)

When you open an emlx file, the associated message will open in Mail. Perhaps Norton is complaining about an attachment.

- Ben

minicoopertx - Dec 30, 2006 - 8:35 pm

I've found the libraries, but can't come up with any of the "infected" files. Perhaps Norton is preventing these from being saved to the HD because it can't repair them?

Will it hurt anything to just wipe out all of those emlx files and start from scratch?

earthsaver - Dec 30, 2006 - 8:50 pm

If you delete the emlx files, you'll lose all of your email, unless it's all stored on the mail server. I think you'd be better off not using Norton AntiVirus. Have you had any other issues that make it required?

minicoopertx - Dec 30, 2006 - 8:53 pm

I haven't had any issues that required an antivirus, no... but I was a long time Windoze user before getting my iMac last year, and the fear is still there.

earthsaver - Dec 30, 2006 - 9:02 pm

Big difference between the thousands of Windows viruses and the zero Mac OS X viruses. Zero, that is, that have been proven to self-propogate and self-infect. They always run into the problem of users having to authenticate to allow the infection.

Anyway, I see no reason to hold onto Norton. If it's catching a Windows virus, that's not going to affect you. The only kind that might is a Microsoft Office macro virus that could infect Office files. Why anyone uses macros anymore is beyond me.

minicoopertx - Dec 30, 2006 - 9:06 pm

Thanks!