MILLGRAM%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU.UUCP (03/10/87)
There's a cute program called crabs that the literature at my local user group says is innocuous, but which has caused a problem that I think I can solve by zeroing my hard disk. I would lose a couple of days work doing that; so if you're able to suggest a less painful way out, please do. FYI, crabs is an ACC file that causes small crab-like creatures to eat your screen. I have talked to people who ran it on floppy-only systems, and who say that in their cases it was indeed innocuous. Here's the best description of the bug I can manage now: I put CRABS.ACC and CRABS.RSC in C:, the logical drive on my SH204 where my other ACC files reside. Upon booting I found that crabs did indeed eat my screen (cute). Clicking on CRABS!! in the desk accessory menu froze the screen; I warm booted, and after a little bit of this decided that enough was enough, and deleted the files. Upon rebooting, I discovered the following: My ST reads and loads the files in my AUTO folder on my A: disk, looks at the C: disk (presumably--the hard disk makes brief noises) ---and reboots. (Enter endless loop...) Could the problem have been caused by trying to delete the file while it was running, so that the init thing loses? Is there a way to tell the machine to boot gently (without dying when it sees something it doesn't like, or running the ACC files, so that I can look at the directory space)? Is there *anything* I can do, short of reformating my hard disk? Suggestions/advice/help would be much appreciated. Lije BTW: Even if you don't have advice, be warned... Elijah Millgram lije@oz.ai.mit.edu
leavens@atari.UUCP (03/11/87)
> CRABS.ACC roach my SH204? > Could the problem have been caused by trying to delete the file > while it was running, so that the init thing loses? Is > there a way to tell the machine to boot gently (without > dying when it sees something it doesn't like, or running the > ACC files, so that I can look at the directory space)? > Is there *anything* I can do, short of reformating my hard disk? I got your mail message, but my reply apparently didn't get through. As the author of CRABS, I want to say again: CRABS IS TOTALLY BENIGN It does _NOTHING_ to your system in any way. All it does is munge the screen. I've deleted it half a dozen times off of my hard disc, and haven't had a problem. Before zeroing drive C:, you might want to try this: Turn everything OFF, and disconnect your hard drive. Turn your hard drive ON. Boot your system from the non-hard drive boot disc. Insert your hard disc boot disc. Connect your hard disc to your ST, carefully. Now run AHDI.PRG from the AUTO folder on your boot disc. Install drive C: Open Drive C: If, at this point, all your files are there, then you're home free--just yank the offending files into the garbage. If nothing shows up on drive C:, then I'm afraid it's dead. Again, CRABS is not a trojan horse program of any kind. ALL IT DOES IS MESS WITH THE SCREEN. Good luck getting your hard drive back! --alex @ Atari BIX:alexl. GEnie: ALEXLEAVENS AtariCorp: 408-745-2006 "How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all."
mdoerr@uklirb.UUCP (03/13/87)
I once experienced similair problems with an auto-booting application installed on my HD. I could delete the offending files from the AUTO-folder, i.e. without reformatting, by booting a disk-based RAM-Version of TOS with the HD-driver installed in the AUTO-folder of that disk. The driver complained about possible loss of data and that it refuses to work with a RAM-TOS. Nevertheless all went fine: I could open drive C: and delete the program. Hope this helps, Michael Doerr. (...!seismo!unido!uklirb!mdoerr)