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From: BILLP@IDUI1.BITNET (Bill Pyle)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: WordPerfect Virus (PC)
Message-ID: <0007.8906161915.AA20442@spot.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Date: 16 Jun 89 22:10:39 GMT
Sender: Virus Alert List <VALERT-L@IBM1.CC.LEHIGH.EDU>
Reply-To: VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU
Organization: University of California, Irvine
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Approved: virus-l@ubu.cc.lehigh.edu

I noted Jenny Wirtschafter's comments about the WordPerfect virus and
in particular the comment that the WordPerfect disk must be used
without a write protect tab.  We run WordPerfect 5.0 in our labs
with write protect tabs.  In fact, we have converted to notchless
diskettes in our lab.  This was prompted by the presence of the
Alameda and Pakistan viruses on our campus.

The Method:
We use two diskettes to load WordPerfect.

The boot diskette has
     DOS
     AUTOEXEC.BAT
     CONFIG.SYS
     WP.EXE
     WP{WP}.SET
     All .PRS files to support our printers.
     RAMDISK.SYS for 5 1/4" diskettes or VDISK.SYS for 3 1/2"

The second diskette has
     WP.FIL
     WP.MRS
     WPSMALL.DRS
     KEYS.MRS (on 3 1/2")
     WPHELP files (on 3 1/2")
     .LEX file (on 3 1/2")

The CONFIG.SYS file has
     FILES=20
     BUFFERS=15
     DEVICE=RAMDISK.SYS 48 (for 5 1/4")
     DEVICE=VDISK.SYS 48 512 16 (for 3 1/2)

The AUTOEXEC.BAT file has
     COPY A:*.PRS C:
     COPY A:*.SET C:
     B:
     SET WP=/D-C
     A:WP
     A:
     CLS

The CONFIG.SYS DEVICE= statement creates a 48K ramdisk (C-drive).

The AUTOEXEC.BAT file statements copy the printer resource files (.PRS)
and the WP{WP}.SET file to the ramdisk.

The /D-C option on the WP command (specified in the SET command),
causes WordPerfect to look at the C-drive for the SET file and it
also uses the C-drive for the overflow files.  The SET file and the
overflow files are the only ones requiring write access.  The also
lets the user change the printer settings through PRINT or other
settings through SETUP, but it won't mess up the next user, since
the original version of the SET file will be copied out to the
ramdisk the next time WordPerfect is loaded.  This allows for
guaranteeing that WordPerfect will always look the same for each
user.  Actually, we block out the SETUP command by redefining the
keyboard in a STARTUP macro, but it really isn't necessary and will
probably change that when we convert our whole lab to 3 1/2" drives.
At that point, we may start popping out the slide that allows the
user to control read/write access on 3 1/2" diskettes.  Not as
nice a notchless diskettes.

Bill Pyle
Manager, User Services
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID  83843
(208)  882-8872
BITNET:  BILLP@IDUI1