DO NOT OPEN ANY FILE CALLED NAKED WIFE.EXE

A new email virus tempts Internet users with promises of a picture of a naked woman, but instead runs a short, vulgar cartoon.  While the cartoon runs, the virus deletes key Windows and system files on the user's PC, rendering the computer unable to start up properly.

This new virus is similar to earlier worm-type viruses such as "Love Letter" and "Melissa." "Naked Wife" spreads by emailing itself to everyone in a user's Microsoft Outlook address book.

Virus experts caution users who receive the email not to click on the attachment and to delete it immediately. The virus, written in the Visual Basic language, deletes files ending in .bmp, .com, .dll, .exe, and .ini in the Windows and Windows Systems directories.

Infected users will not be able to restart their computers and will have to reinstall the Windows operating system.