CHAIN E-MAIL LETTERS

Does it have a bug in it, or a virus tagging along? Will opening it cause my computer to crash or do weird things? One time, some bug or virus took over the built-in search feature of the Address bar on my web Explorer program. Thereafter, no matter what I was searching for, my inquiries lead me to a page full of links to products or services for sale. Never could get that fixed. Had to wipe the whole hard drive and reinstall Windows. That worked, but suddenly the monitor of my laptop refused to show anything. That was money down the drain. You can see why I am so leery of those e-mails that start out announcing they have been forwarded to me from someone else who got them from someone else, and which almost always have cute subject lines or pleading ones like: You have to read this! Besides, just between you and me, most of these much passed on bits of prose or pictures are not cute, funny, or interesting enough to look at, let alone pass on to someone else.