Need advice: General question about MS-Windows and trojans

If I were to purchase a brand new computer, with the latest version of
MicroSoft Windows NT Professional, and all the usual software that goes
with it (InterNet Explorer, Express, Active-X, J2EE, VB.NET,
etc.), and I don't make any changes from the default configuration,
except to enable JavaScript and Active-X and TCP/IP or PPP and connect
the system to the InterNet via ComCast digital cable or high-speed DSL,
is there any way that somebody elsewhere on the net could, without my
authorization, penetrate my computer via some sort of worm/virus/trojan
and thereby gain sufficient control over my computer as to make it send
out unauthorized e-mail including copies of the worm/virus/trojan?

(I'm sorry for the run-on sentence, but I couldn't find any good place
to break it.)

anon1@sci.sci wrote in news:e661e$4543dfb1$c690c02a$24432@TSFT.CM:

If I were to purchase a brand new computer, with the latest version of
MicroSoft Windows NT Professional, and all the usual software that
goes with it (InterNet Explorer, Express, Active-X, J2EE,
VB.NET, etc.), and I don't make any changes from the default
configuration, except to enable JavaScript and Active-X and TCP/IP or
PPP and connect the system to the InterNet via ComCast digital cable
or high-speed DSL, is there any way that somebody elsewhere on the net
could, without my authorization, penetrate my computer via some sort
of worm/virus/trojan and thereby gain sufficient control over my
computer as to make it send out unauthorized e-mail including copies
of the worm/virus/trojan?
>
(I'm sorry for the run-on sentence, but I couldn't find any good place
to break it.)
>

It depends if you have the holes fixed in things like media player or
IE. That's why they have critical updates. course a *new* hole could
appear also. Beware of wmv files BTW, they can take you to a web site
and start IE automatically, and if you have Java enabled along with
active scripting, *anything* could be run.

--
(setq (chuck nil) car(chuck) )