LEAVITDG@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu (04/20/91)
>------------------------------msg------------------------------------ >Date: 19 Apr 91 12:49:35 EDT (Fri) >From: ka2bqe@ka2bqe.#nwvt.vt.usa.na (Brian Riley) >Subject: Re: WDEF > > Darryl please send this back out to BITNET in response to the WDEF commentary >-------- > > That WDEF A is 'mostly benign' is questionable. I recently had a query >made to the network about an infestation of nVIR B. Upon recommendation, I >obtained Disinfectant 2.4 and went to work cleaning house in the corporate >tower at the Village of Smuggler's Notch Resort where I do some part time >computer work. Of some 14 machines I scanned and cleaned, every one was >infected with a nVIR B that came to us attached to a copy of Stuffit 1.5.1. >Moreover every single HD desktop was infected with WDEF A. 85% of the >floppies were infected. Most machines were SE's or Plus's and a few >Classics, no II's. All system were complaining of 'minor annoyances'; >premature program terminations, a number of the Plus's had Europa 20 >external HD's and all of them were 50-50 whether or not they would boot >from HD. There were anumber of other complaints that are hard to >categorize. ALL complaints stopped upon removal of WDEF A! I installed the >Protection INIT and everything has run smooth for several days with 0 >complaints. > > I am sort of new to Macs (I have 8 years on PCs!) and its brand of virii, >but this experience would have to make me think that, while not maliciously >catastrophic, WDEF A is far from 'mostly benign!' > > Interesting sidelight on Disinfectant. You cannot sucessfully install the >INIT on a system that was infected but was cleaned. You must re-boot first. >I could not find mention of this in the docs, but it is quite verfiable - I >had almost 20 chances to check it out! > > *--------------------------------------------*-----------------------------* > | 73 de brian @ WULFDEN on Hawk's Mountain | Since when does winning a | > |--------------------------------------------| war have anything at all to | > | us snail: Box 188, Underhill Ctr, VT 05490 | do with its being right? | > *--------------------------------------------*-----------------------------* >----- End of message 5622 from KA2BQE @ KA2BQE.#NWVT.VT.USA.NA ----- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darrell G. Leavitt SUNY Empire State College (ESC) ESC VAX: DLEAVITT 403 Sibley Hall SUNYNET: SESCVA::DLEAVITT Plattsburgh, New York, 12901 INTERNET: LEAVITDG@SPLAVA.CC.PLATTSBURGH.EDU PHONE : (518) 564-2837 AMATEUR BitNet : LEAVITDG@SNYPLAVA PACKET: N2IXL @ KD2AJ.NY.USA.NA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MAIMER@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Big fish man on hippocampus) (04/25/91)
Brian Riley writes: >>------------------------------msg------------------------------------ >>From: ka2bqe@ka2bqe.#nwvt.vt.usa.na (Brian Riley) >> >> That WDEF A is 'mostly benign' is questionable. I recently had a query >>made to the network about an infestation of nVIR B. Upon recommendation, I >>obtained Disinfectant 2.4 and went to work cleaning house in the corporate >>tower at the Village of Smuggler's Notch Resort where I do some part time >>computer work. Of some 14 machines I scanned and cleaned, every one was >>infected with a nVIR B that came to us attached to a copy of Stuffit 1.5.1. >>Moreover every single HD desktop was infected with WDEF A. 85% of the >>floppies were infected. Most machines were SE's or Plus's and a few >>Classics, no II's. All system were complaining of 'minor annoyances'; >>premature program terminations, a number of the Plus's had Europa 20 >>external HD's and all of them were 50-50 whether or not they would boot >>from HD. There were anumber of other complaints that are hard to >>categorize. ALL complaints stopped upon removal of WDEF A! I installed the >>Protection INIT and everything has run smooth for several days with 0 >>complaints. >> >> I am sort of new to Macs (I have 8 years on PCs!) and its brand of virii, >>but this experience would have to make me think that, while not maliciously >>catastrophic, WDEF A is far from 'mostly benign!' It seems to me that the effects can't be attributed to WDEF since nVIR was also on the infected drives. It has been my experience that although WDEF gets around quickly, that it is not much of a problem with the older machines. On the other hand, nVIR (which has made its rounds here) is more of a pain and interferes with proper oiperation much more often than WDEF. Also, benign doesn't neccessarily mean that it doesn't cause any problems; it just means that it doesn't go out looking for trouble. Think of a benign brain tumor; it doesn't eat up brain tissue, but it does start putting pressure on the brain when it grows, eventually destroying the tissue. Pretty yummy analogy, huh? =-) |\ \\\\__ Tony Maimer __ | \_/ o \ / | > _ (( <_ / | | / \__+___/ maimer@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu /o /_/| |/ |/ < )) _ < \ \ \| \ | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++