[ProgSoc] Virus Question

[Kevin Doohan <DOOHAN@nospam.integral.com.au>]

Below is an email my ISP sent me. It has started heated debate at my work as whether this email is based on fact, or if it is just spam mail. I am interested to know opinions, or if anyone has experienced an email virus.

thanks,
Kev

>>>>>>>>>>>
>DO NOT OPEN A PROGRAM CALLED HAPPY99.EXE FROM YOUR E-MAIL ATTACHMENT.
>
>This program is a virus.  Once you have it, it will "ride" on e-mail
>messages you send out, and you'll become the one who spreads the
>virus to your friends and colleagues.  The "evil" message will bear
>the same sender and subject line as the message it "rides" on, and
>that's why you cannot simply tell without reading into it.
>
>The damage is still unknown to us, but we may well give an early
>warning to you because it may spread very quickly.
>
>Once you see an attachment called "Happy99.exe", delete the message
>and empty your trash folder.  If your e-mail reader has already saved
>the file, find the file and delete it from your hard disk.  DO NOT save
>and run the Happy99.exe program; it's already too late once you do.
>
>If you have already run it (it displays firework and looks pretty
>harmless), it's in your computer even you reboot it.
>
>To find out whether you're infected, please find the following files
>from "Start|Find|Files or Folders..." and look for the following files
>from your hard disk (eg C: where your Windows was installed):
>
>ska.exe
>ska.dll
>
>Delete them and restart your computer in MS-DOS mode (Start|Shutdown...|
>Restart in MS-DOS mode).  Then do the following:
>
>C:\>cd \windows\system
>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>copy wsock32.ska wsock32.dll
>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>del wsock32.ska
>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM>exit
>

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
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