zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steven M Kosloske) (05/04/90)
I have just recently bought a Macintosh Plus, and after loading up all the software I had onto my Hard Drive I ran Disenfectant and found what it thinks is a virus. The error it gave me reads: Desktop ### File infected by WDEF A. There is no file called Desktop on my drive, does this mean the desktop itself is infected by this virus? It also mentions that the file is open so it cannot clear the virus. What can I do about this? None of my other files seem to be infected. THanks in advance, -- (Steve Kosloske) | ------------------------------------| "Areosmith is in my breakfast Internet: zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu | nook! " - Wayne Cambell UUCP: uunet!zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu |
dale@bcm.tmc.edu (Dale A. Samuelsen) (05/04/90)
In article <3787@uwm.edu> zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steven M Kosloske) writes: > I ran Disenfectant and found what it > thinks is a virus. The error it gave me reads: > > Desktop > ### File infected by WDEF A. > > There is no file called Desktop on my drive, does this mean the desktop > itself is infected by this virus? It also mentions that the file is open > so it cannot clear the virus. What can I do about this? > > None of my other files seem to be infected. Steven - Every initialized Macintosh Disk or Diskette has (or should have) a Desktop file on it. The file is not, however, normally visible on your system. You might see that it's there by using a disk utility such as SUM, or FastBack, but otherwise you might never know of its existance. If Disinfectant reports you have a WDEF A virus in your Desktop file, you need to get a clean (read uninfected) System Diskette with a copy of your favorite de-virusing software (Disinfectant will do nicely), Boot from that diskette, then run use the de-virusing software to clean up your hard drive. Be prepared to reload system software and applications as de-virusing your files will occasionally damage their structure. Hope this helps. Good luck. Dale Dale A. Samuelsen Baylor College of Medicine dale@bcm.tmc.edu --Any opinions expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily represent those of Baylor College of Medicine.
werner@cs.utexas.edu (Werner Uhrig) (05/04/90)
> > ...Disinfectant found the WDEF virus in the DeskTop file. Now what? ... > Am I correct in my impression that you have not discovered the documentation in Disinfectant? Click on the About-button ... what the original author should have done (and didn't do) was to read the documentation that comes built-in with Disinfectant. nothing is more frustrating than to see people not make an effort to find the answers to their questions themselves before posting, especially for the people who bring you FreeWare programs such as Disinfectant, and who went to great length to provide documen- tation too ...
grobbins@grad1.cis.upenn.edu (Grobbins) (05/04/90)
In article <839@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> dale@bcm.tmc.edu (Dale Samuelsen) writes: >In article <3787@uwm.edu> zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steven M Kosloske) writes: >> There is no file called Desktop on my drive, does this mean the desktop >> itself is infected by this virus? It also mentions that the file is open >> so it cannot clear the virus. What can I do about this? >If Disinfectant reports you have a WDEF A virus in your Desktop file, you >need to get a clean (read uninfected) System Diskette Disinfectant can clean the desktop file if MultiFinder is turned off. Hold down the command key while booting, and then run Disinfectant. Grobbins. grobbins@eniac.seas.upenn.edu