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Q: A while ago I started getting blank e mails with attachments. I wouldn’t open, just delete. I’ve tried going into the properties to find a common thread, because now they are coming every hour or less always from different addresses, so I guess blocking won’t help. Could you give me some ideas as to how to get off that mailing list.

While I’m here, I vacuum the exterior of my PC, though not often enough, as I now see dust at the vents, very dusty house!  Should I try to remove the cover and vacuum inside? Or is that something a tech should do?  It makes more noise (louder hum) than it used to, could it be laboring?

– Mia C.
Destin,FL

 A: Welcome to the nefarious world of spam e-mail, Mia.  As you probably know, spam is unsolicited, unwanted e-mail, usually advertising something.  It is the bane of the internet, and can clog e-mail servers and even spread computer viruses. Experts disagree on the exact number, but they estimate that spam comprises between 80% and 99% of all Internet e-mail.  Over time, internet service providers and even end-users have gotten wiser about spam.  Many ISPs have installed spam filters so that the majority of spam never reaches your mailbox.  It is an ongoing contest; the spammers are constantly coming up with clever new ways to disguise their junk as legitimate mail, while the ISPs are devising methods to detect and block each new form of spam.  One of the most recent spam disguises that I’ve seen is the one you wrote about, in which the spammer hides his advertisement inside an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file, and attaches it to an otherwise empty message.  If you get a message like this from someone you don’t recognize, your best bet is to just delete it without opening the attachment.

Unfortunately, there is no single magic mailing list that you can unsubscribe from to halt these messages.  The spammers have no regard for your wishes anyway, and writing to them only confirms that your e-mail address is valid so they can send you more spam.  My advice is to keep deleting those e-mails without opening them, choose an ISP that provides a good spam filtering service, or if you have the know-how, install a spam filter of your own, and just wait it out.  Sooner or later this latest spam scheme will be defeated too, and the spammers will be forced to try something else.  Watch for more information on spam and its potential hazards in upcoming columns.

As for your other question, yes, excess dust can cause your computer to “labor” as you put it, but perhaps not in the way you’re thinking.  The louder hum you’re hearing is probably wind noise caused by dust on the blades of your cooling fans, not by your processor working harder.  However, the coating of dust on the inside of your computer can cause problems with excess heat, so you should periodically clean it out.  If you’re comfortable opening up your computer you can safely vacuum out excess dust without too much risk.  Make sure you power down and unplug the computer first, and make sure you discharge any static charge from yourself and your vacuum cleaner before you proceed.  You may need to use a cotton swab to break loose dust that’s caked onto fan blades protected behind finger guards.  To reduce the risk to your computer, avoid touching any exposed circuitry or unplugging anything inside the case.   By all means, if you don’t feel 100% comfortable doing this yourself, have a technician do it for you.

TIP OF THE WEEK: In the last couple columns I discussed the Win-key, and Alt, so this week let’s talk about Ctrl.  The “Control” key is used primarily for application-specific keyboard shortcuts. Don’t confuse these with the mnemonics I mentioned last week.  Mnemonics are symbolic representations (such as one letter of a menu command symbolizing the entire command), but shortcuts can be any key combination.  Although unique to each application, there are many shortcuts that are considered standard, such as Ctrl+O to open a file, Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+P to print, and Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V to Cut, Copy, and Paste respectively.  Most programs show their available keyboard shortcuts right on the menu.  As you learn them, you will become more productive, and maybe even understand your software better.