To check an email in any of your folders in Outlook Express carry out the following procedure: Before opening your emails - Right click on any email listed in your Inbox, Sent, Deleted, etc. folders. Then select properties. Then select the tab which says Details. Press the button that says Message Source. Then open up to full window:

This is the WScript/Kak.worm.bat virus which is attached to your emails. If it is present, refer to the copy email below for one method of removing it from your system, and downloading a 'patch' from Microsoft to prevent re-infection.

I am sorry to have to inform you that we received an E-mail from you which contained the KAK.worm Virus. You may not be aware that your computer has this Virus, but it was detected by our McAfee VirusScan and showed up in the coding information of your E-mail.

We received your E-mail at     :         on      /      /     

PLEASE DO NOT SEND US ANY MORE E-MAILS UNTIL YOU HAVE REMOVED THE VIRUS FROM YOUR SYSTEM.

THIS VIRUS IS VIGOROUS AT PRESENT - YOU WILL PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU SEND E-MAILS TO. WE HAVE LISTED ONE METHOD TO ASSIST YOU IN DELETING THIS FROM YOUR COMPUTER. (For Windows 95 & 98).

A quick method to check if your computer is infected is to look in Tools/Options/Signatures in Microsoft Mail Programs. (i.e Outlook Express). It may well show a name in the signature which includes the word 'kak'. However - this is not always present, so don't be fooled. Continue with the other checks.

the virus is called WScript/Kak.worm.bat it is not a serious virus and is easily removed from a PC. It is put onto your computer just by receiving an infected e-mail - No attachment is required and you do not even have to open the e-mail. It will put up various messages and close down your computer on the 1st of the month at 6.00 PM. Switching on your computer or rebooting after 6:00 PM will prevent your computer from running for the rest of that day.

If you are running McAfee virus scanner when booting up your PC, it should give you a warning message or you should run McAfee to detect it automatically.

For more information about it you can go to www.avertlabs.com click on the section about hoax viruses, then on the alphabet click K and select Kak. A 30 day FREE online virus scan is also available from McAfee Clinic. Well worth using!

UPDATE 27/9/2001: A TOOL FOR REMOVING THE KAK VIRUS - AND MANY OTHERS - IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD FROM:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/tools.list.html

Free online Security and Virus checks are also available at Symantec(Norton) Website at:
http://security2.norton.com/us/intro.asp?venid=sym&langid=us

You can also download from the Microsoft Security Bulletin site, a FREE security patch to block the virus in future.  The security patch number file is - q240308.exe
Click on this address as a short cut:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/IE/IE-Public/Fixes/usa/Eyedog-fix/x86/q240308.exe

You can remove the Kak.worm virus manually by using the following instructions:

Delete entries in c:\windows:
> c:\windows\kak.htm (delete kak.htm)
> c:\windows\system\xxxxxxxx.hta (delete xxxxx.hta) (Where xxxxxx will be a random number)
> c:\windows\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up\kak.hta (delete kak.hta)

Delete entries in the autoexec.bat :
> Any lines referring to KAK.HTA or WScript/kak (Note: USE A TEXT EDITOR SUCH AS 'NOTEPAD' to edit the autoexec.bat file.  DO NOT USE A WORD PROCESSOR SUCH AS 'MICROSOFT WORD'.

Delete In registry:
> To get access to the Registry, click on Start, then click on Run, and type:
"regedit" and click "OK"
Look for:
> Hkey local machine\software\microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Run cAgOu = "c:\windows\system\xxxxx.hta" (Where xxxxxx will be a random number)
> (Delete "cAgOu = "c:\windows\system\xxxxx.hta")

REMOVE any signatures that have been added in your signatures files - These are what will spread the Virus in your outgoing mail!!

You can also download from the Microsoft Security Bulletin site, a security patch to block the virus  The security patch number file is - q240308.exe

Click on this address as a short cut:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/IE/IE-Public/Fixes/usa/Eyedog-fix/x86/q240308.exe
Download the file and RUN it on your computer

For other, and current security bulletins and patches visit: http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/current.asp

Many thanks.