ccx020@cck.cov.ac.uk (11/29/90)
When running Norton Disc Doctor (from v5.0), I came across a very
strange error message. Norton claimed to have "received" a message
from the boot sector that went...
Your disk is knackered!
HA HA!!
This was displayed in a standard red Norton error/message box during
the boot sector check of NDD. I immediately thought this was a virus,
but am not so sure now. One of our machines (not the one I run Norton
on) in the office has been trashing disks by (what looks like)
overwriting alternate bytes in the FAT and elsewhere. It was these
disks that were giving the "error" (probably a faulty disk controller
but not confirmed yet as it's a loan machine from a manufacturer).
Also, I remembered that I had only partially installed Norton on my
own machine and once re-installed, Norton gave no such errors.
I have checked everything for viruses with Bates & Solomons & F-PROT
etc. but nothing comes up and none of my files or system sectors are
changing. So, it looks like I have discovered a hidden message in
Norton that is distinctly unfriendly. My guess is that it's a protection
device or some obsolete piece of code I have triggered by accident. All
the same, it doesn't say much for Norton if that is the case.
I would have called Norton but there is no UK number and I am not
allowed to dial to America from my office! Have there been any other
occurrences of the "knackered" message or is there still the possibility
of a new virus on my computer?
- --
James Nash, Computing Services, Coventry Polytechnic, England
JANET (UK) ccx020@uk.ac.cov.cck
P.S. As far as I know, "knackered" is a peculiarly English swear word.
Is it prevalent in America??!?