What file types are we talking about? Generally when I extract a .rar file, I look for .exe files that will open an application.

FYI, it is recommended that you 'scan' all files that you download before opening them, although I never have...I have McAfee software, and it caught all of the viruses that I downloaded before I knew better. AFAIK, you are the most likely to get viruses by downloading .exe files directly, although many .rar and .zip files will contain viruses also. Many people would advise not downloading ANY of these file types.

Good Luck

Dano