Windows 7 Strange happenings in Live Mail and others?

[Jonzjob]

I am sorry to be so vague, but my laptop has started to do some strange things.

I have been informed twice now since Saturday, by friends, that the e-mails that I have sent have been totally unreadable. They have been described as being in code? Yesterday morning I sent a single e-mail and when I checked to see that it was going along with the attachments by clicking on the 'Sync' button at the top of the page the window showed 6 e-mails going out? Is it possible that someone is 'piggybacking' my PC to send spam or other rubbish?

My OS is Windows 7 Home Premium and I am using Windows Live Mail. Everything is up to date as far as I know because I have auto-update enabled. My antivirus prog is Avast and that too should be up to date.

Also, I m using Firefox because IE8 was deemed to have a security problem, and several times I have been typing replies on forums I belong to and when I hit the 'New Line' key the page has swopped to a different tag?

Has anyone any idea as to what this might be?

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you are facing a couple of concerning issues with your laptop. Let's address each problem you've mentioned:

Issue 1: Unreadable Emails and Multiple Outgoing Emails​

• Unreadable Emails: If your emails are appearing as code to your recipients, it could be due to encoding issues or formatting problems within Windows Live Mail.
• Multiple Outgoing Emails: The issue of multiple emails being sent when you intended to send only one could indicate a hijacking or spamming problem.

Issue 2: Browser Behavior with Firefox​

• Firefox Behavior: The unexpected page switching when hitting the 'New Line' key in Firefox may be related to browser settings, add-ons, or even malware.

  Steps to Address These Issues:​

  1. Scan for Malware: Run a thorough scan using Avast to ensure your system is free from any malware or suspicious programs.
  2. Check Mail Settings: Review your email settings in Windows Live Mail to ensure they are correctly configured, especially in terms of encoding and formatting.
  3. Secure Email Account: Change your email account password to prevent unauthorized access.
  4. Update Software: Make sure Windows 7, Firefox, and Avast are all updated to the latest versions.
  5. Browser Add-ons: Check your Firefox add-ons for any suspicious or problematic extensions that might be causing the page switching behavior.
  6. Security Concerns: Given the age of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8, consider upgrading to a newer operating system like Windows 10 and using a modern browser for improved security. If these steps do not resolve the issues, it might be worth seeking further assistance from a tech support professional or a dedicated forum for more in-depth troubleshooting specific to your system setup.