[comp.virus] help/1701

elev50@castle.ed.ac.uk (N Porfiris) (08/30/90)

I have got my PC infected by a virus.When I try to boot it up a 1701
appears under the last date used information, followed by an inquiry to
boot it up from drive a. I have tried chkdsk but no drive c can be
found. I have also tried an antivirus kit, but the partition table can
not be found. Could somebody advise me how can I retrieve the files of
the hard disk and how can I scan my diskettes to find which are
infected? I must note that I had used a scan.exe program that claims
that 1701/cascade virus can be traced, but no traces of any virus
appeared.

Personal Mail :    nico@emf.ed.ac.uk

woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (09/02/90)

elev50@castle.ed.ac.uk (N Porfiris) writes:
> I have got my PC infected by a virus.When I try to boot it up a 1701
> appears under the last date used information, followed by an inquiry to
> boot it up from drive a. I have tried chkdsk but no drive c can be

No you don't.  1701 is an internal diagnostic error message.  It means
hard disk controller failure.  Generaly, it is caused by a dead hard
disk.  open the case up, and check all the controller cables.  Next
power the system up, while holding a pencil or screwdriver against the
hard disk case and the other end pressed into your ear (it makes it
easier to hear if the hard disk is spinning up.)  If you don't detect
that the hd is spinning up, then you probably have a bad hdisk,
(generaly it is the controller board on the bottom of the hard disk).
It it spins up, then it may be the disk controller card it's self.

This is a good argument against refering to viruses by numbers.  This
individual has confused a virus number with an error message.

Cheers
Woody