The blunt answer is that whenever you download a file from the Internet, there is always a risk that the file could contain viruses or malware.
If you’ve installed and are using an up-to-date antivirus program and it has scanned the files before opening them and notified you that the file is potentially unsafe, then you must use your own judgement but I’d side with the antivirus program.
You should only download files from websites that you trust. A good sign is the little padlock in the address bar although now I believe they can be faked.
Some files are certainly worth being more cautious about than other types. You’re almost certainly safe on .jpgs and .gifs but the main file types to avoid are program files with extensions such as .exe, .scr, .bat, .com, or .pif. Remember the last suffix will tell you what the file is. I assume Aim is an executable program file. Aim can refer to a couple of things so I’m assuming that you’re referring to AOL Instant Messenger (www.aim.com/)?
If you’re downloading off the proper AOL site then you’re probably going to be OK and the warning message is just a Windows default to protect them from litigation. I have heard though that it can be very hard to remove the aim.exe program and that it comes with all sorts of additional programs that can slow down your computer and are equally hard to get rid of especially as you probably won’t know the names of them. It can also uninstall other competing programs.
As I said before you have to use your own discretion about whether you want to download and operate the program and I’ve heard good things and bad things about it. If it helps I decided not to use the service.
The other option is to download it on to someone else’s computer (preferably someone you don’t like) to check it out. Although morally dubious, it’s better than putting your computer at risk ;)
If you’ve installed and are using an up-to-date antivirus program and it has scanned the files before opening them and notified you that the file is potentially unsafe, then you must use your own judgement but I’d side with the antivirus program.
You should only download files from websites that you trust. A good sign is the little padlock in the address bar although now I believe they can be faked.
Some files are certainly worth being more cautious about than other types. You’re almost certainly safe on .jpgs and .gifs but the main file types to avoid are program files with extensions such as .exe, .scr, .bat, .com, or .pif. Remember the last suffix will tell you what the file is. I assume Aim is an executable program file. Aim can refer to a couple of things so I’m assuming that you’re referring to AOL Instant Messenger (www.aim.com/)?
If you’re downloading off the proper AOL site then you’re probably going to be OK and the warning message is just a Windows default to protect them from litigation. I have heard though that it can be very hard to remove the aim.exe program and that it comes with all sorts of additional programs that can slow down your computer and are equally hard to get rid of especially as you probably won’t know the names of them. It can also uninstall other competing programs.
As I said before you have to use your own discretion about whether you want to download and operate the program and I’ve heard good things and bad things about it. If it helps I decided not to use the service.
The other option is to download it on to someone else’s computer (preferably someone you don’t like) to check it out. Although morally dubious, it’s better than putting your computer at risk ;)
