CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (06/04/90)
I have a Mac-IIcx with color monitor, 4-meg, 80Mbyte HD. No
accellerator boards or exotic software. Standard Macintosh board for
monitor. Running 6.0.4.
Lately I have started seeing the cursor jump around a bit. A small
move with the mouse sometimes makes random sized moves with the cursor;
large moves (---) mix in with small moves (-), making life difficult when
trying to do fine work on the screen, or even select menu items (last
night I tried for the Get Info menu item, and got Duplicate instead).
IF the system proves to be virus-free (I have a teenager who keeps
bringing "stuff" home from unknown sources) and IF the mouse is okay (I
will try out one I use at work) are there other things I should look for?
I remember seeing titles about jumpy cursors a while back, but did not
read them because I didn't have the problem.
This does not look like an RF magnetic interference problem. Only the
cursor is affected, and only when I move it with the mouse.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
-Chuck
- Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc.
cah0@bunny.gte.com
Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131
GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131
GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMANgurney@cpsin2.uucp (Eddy J Gurney) (06/04/90)
In article <9193@bunny.GTE.COM> CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) writes: > > I have a Mac-IIcx with color monitor, 4-meg, 80Mbyte HD. No >accellerator boards or exotic software. Standard Macintosh board for >monitor. Running 6.0.4. > Lately I have started seeing the cursor jump around a bit. A small >move with the mouse sometimes makes random sized moves with the cursor; >large moves (---) mix in with small moves (-), making life difficult when >trying to do fine work on the screen, or even select menu items (last >night I tried for the Get Info menu item, and got Duplicate instead). > IF the system proves to be virus-free (I have a teenager who keeps >bringing "stuff" home from unknown sources) and IF the mouse is okay (I >will try out one I use at work) are there other things I should look for? >I remember seeing titles about jumpy cursors a while back, but did not >read them because I didn't have the problem. > This does not look like an RF magnetic interference problem. Only the >cursor is affected, and only when I move it with the mouse. > Thanks for any help you can give me. Well, it sounds to me like your system is NOT virus free. According to the documentation for Disinfectant 1.8, there's a virus that does exactly what you're talking about. Here's the info below: The ZUC virus was first discovered in Italy in March, 1990. It is named after the discoverer, Don Ernesto Zucchini. ZUC only infects applications. It does not infect system files or data files. Applications do not have to be run to become infected. ZUC was timed to activate on March 2, 1990. Before that date it only spread from application to application. After that date, approximately 90 seconds after an infected application is run, the cursor begins to behave unusually whenever the mouse button is held down. The cursor moves diagonally across the screen, changing direction and bouncing like a billiard ball whenever it reaches any of the four sides of the screen. The cursor stops moving when the mouse button is released. The behavior of the ZUC virus is similar to that of a desk accessory named Bouncy. The virus and the desk accessory are different, and they should not be confused. The desk accessory does not spread, and it is not a virus. ZUC does spread, and it is a virus. ZUC has two noticeable side effects. On some Macintoshes it causes the desktop pattern to change. It also often causes long delays and an unusually large amount of disk activity when infected applications are opened. ZUC can spread over a network from individual Macintoshes to servers and from servers to individual Macintoshes. Except for the unusual cursor behavior, ZUC does not attempt to do any damage. Vaccine is not effective against ZUC. GateKeeper 1.1.1, however, is effective against ZUC. Hope this helps. -- Eddy J. Gurney, N8FPW -- gurney@frith.egr.msu.edu OR 17158EJG@MSU.BITNET (reachable via uucp also)
dmr@csli.Stanford.EDU (Daniel M. Rosenberg) (06/05/90)
In <1990Jun4.145556.1636@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> gurney@cpsin2.uucp (Eddy J Gurney) writes: >In article <9193@bunny.GTE.COM> CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) writes: >> >> Lately I have started seeing the cursor jump around a bit. A small >>move with the mouse sometimes makes random sized moves with the cursor; >>large moves (---) mix in with small moves (-), making life difficult when >>trying to do fine work on the screen, or even select menu items (last >>night I tried for the Get Info menu item, and got Duplicate instead). >Well, it sounds to me like your system is NOT virus free. According to the >documentation for Disinfectant 1.8, there's a virus that does exactly what >you're talking about. Here's the info below: I'd get a spare mouse and check that. I am the Resident Computer Coordinator in my Stanford dorm, which means I play with everyone's Macintoshes. Out of about twenty new Macs in the dorm owned by students, at least three have developed the problem you described, and it had nothing to do with any virus -- just a crappy mouse. Some of the mice were new adb types (plastic ball) and some were similar but a bit older (metal ball). The electronics inside were just plain bad, and the whole mouse unit had to be replaced. Apple quality. -- # Daniel M. Rosenberg // Stanford CSLI // Eat my opinions, not Stanford's. # dmr@csli.stanford.edu // decwrl!csli!dmr // dmr%csli@stanford.bitnet
consp22@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu (Darren Handler) (06/08/90)
|>> Lately I have started seeing the cursor jump around a bit. A small |>>move with the mouse sometimes makes random sized moves with the cursor; |>>large moves (---) mix in with small moves (-), making life difficult when |>>trying to do fine work on the screen, or even select menu items (last |>>night I tried for the Get Info menu item, and got Duplicate instead). When was the last time you cleaned the mouse? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Consp22@Bingsuns.pod.binghamton.edu | SUNY-B Computer Consultants - | | Consp22@Bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu | Trying to keep the world safe from | |---------------------------------------| the SUNY-B Computer users. | | Consultant/Techie - World Computers |-------------------------------------| | Computer Cons. - SUNY Binghamton | Darren `Mac Hack' Handler | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| I don't know if I am going to heaven or hell, I just hope God grades on a curve