If you receive e-mail instructions on how to remove the file SULFNBK from Windows, don't do it. This virus warning is a hoax.
Over the last week, a lot of folks wrote to me inquiring about a virus that infects SULFNBK.EXE, a file found on the hard drive of Windows users. Although there is a little bit of truth to this hoax, don't start deleting files from your Windows directories just yet. For an explanation of the technical details of this hoax, allow me defer to our resident pro, Robert Vamosi, ZDNet's Virus and Security Expert.
Thanks, Dr. D. Bunk. This e-hoax originated in Brazil, and has been translated into Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, and English. The hoax e-mail urges recipients to delete a harmless Windows file, SULFNBK.EXE. According to the e-mail, SULFNBK.EXE harbors an unnamed virus that will delete all of the recipient's files on June 1st. Because SULFNBK.EXE is a real file and the e-mail contains accurate instructions on how to find and remove it, many conscientious Windows users have been duped into thinking that the mere presence of SULFNBK.EXE is a sign of infection. There is no need to delete this file.
SULFNBK.EXE is a legitimate file used by Windows to restore long files names from the shorter DOS standard of 8.3 characters. For more information on what SULFNBK.EXE can do, see the Microsoft Web site. To read more about this hoax, Symantec's Antivirus Research Center has a good write-up. Like any .exe file, SULFNBK could be infected with a virus. That's why it's important to run antivirus software on your PC and update it frequently. If the SULFNBK file or any file is infected with a virus, most antivirus software should detect and remove the virus.
If you haven't already deleted the file SULFNBK.EXE, please do not. If you have deleted the file, then you will need to use your Windows CD-ROM or Windows CAB files to restore it. Although the file is not absolutely necessary to run Windows, SULVNBK.EXE is a utility to restore long file names, and in order for that feature to work properly, you should restore it. For more information on the restoration process, contact your computer manufacturer.
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