Change the default action for Visual Basic Scripts so that viruses won't hurt you.

August 9, 2000

Here's an easy way to protect against VBScript-based viruses such as ILOVEYOU: Change the Open action for VBS files. In Windows Explorer, select View | Folder Options, then click the File Types tab. Locate the entry containing the VBS extension, normally VBScript Script File. Click Edit..., select the Open action, click Edit..., and change Wscript.exe to Notepad.exe.

You can still run a VBS script by entering WSCRIPT filename.vbs in the Run dialog. You'll also want to change the settings for other script file types, such as Windows Scripting Host Settings File (WSH extension) and JScript File (JS extension).

After you apply this fix, even if you accidentally launch a VBS script attached to an e-mail message, it will not run. Rather, it will be loaded into Notepad, revealing its insidious source code.

You can use regedit (or better yet, PC Magazine's free RegEdit+ utility download now) to search and modify all script file types. Press Ctrl-F for Find, enter wscript.exe, and check only the Data box. For each result, verify that the result is in the (Default) value, and that the key has the form HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ XXXFile\Shell\Open\Command (where XXX is a script extension). If it does, change Wscript.exe to Notepad.exe.

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