Can a MS word document contain a virus?

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

I am having a dispute through Paypal/Ebay. The seller is not very personable and quite frankly sounds a nasty piece of work (although not the sharpest knif in the drawer. They have sent me a word document (that it's in my best interests not to receive). Could I refuse to open it in case is contains a virus?

Not that it's relavent to my question but it's a product manual. Shouldn't that be a pdf? How can I be sure that it hasn't been edited?

[Ardesco]

A word document could potentially contain a virus, but a decent virus scanner (which you should have) will pick anything up. To be honest refusing to open a word document sounds ridiculous, and they can quite easily convert it to PDF if they want to (many different apps and plugins to do this).

Even if you get a PDF there is not guarantee that it has not been edited.

I think if you went to e-bay/paypal with this and told them that you had refused to open a word document in case it had a virus they would probably shake their heads and find in favour of the other guy.

[daviejones]

Used to be a big problem, but they were generally macro viruses...

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

I do have avg so that should pick it up. If it can be edited though, I can't be sure it's genuine. I can't believe a manufacturer/importer would issue a manual for mains operated equipment that is editable.

I don't think they will call in favour of the seller when you look at the whole picture though.

[HankWangford]

can you not go direct to source and get the manufacturer to send you the de facto manual.

[Sockpuppet]

Just turn word security settings to "Disbable Macros"

Then open.

HTH

[Ardesco]

I do have avg so that should pick it up. If it can be edited though, I can't be sure it's genuine. I can't believe a manufacturer/importer would issue a manual for mains operated equipment that is editable.

I don't think they will call in favour of the seller when you look at the whole picture though.

They can and do, usually Taiwanese or Chinese manufacturers that you have never heard of before

HTH

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

The manufacturer is in Asia. It's not wuite that simple. It's the importer's responsibility to ensure that the product meets statutory legislation. The seller implied that they were the importer but is now denying it and tells me it's none of my business where they bought it from

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

OK...another question. How can I save a website and then imbed it into a word document so it looks like a screenshot?

[realityhack]

OK...another question. How can I save a website and then imbed it into a word document so it looks like a screenshot?

Erm... are you an IT contractor?