Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!polyslo!vlsi3b15!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw
From: aduva@guvax.BITNET (Andrew R. D'Uva)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Basic Virus Questions (PC)
Message-ID: <0001.8908211128.AA06437@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 18 Aug 89 14:52:00 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 18
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

After hearing quite a bit about viruses, particularly the Internet
'Worm' of November, 1988, I have a few questions concerning prevention
of virus infiltration on IBM PCs/clones using MS-DOS 3.3x or 4.01.

1) Is the possibility of virus infection limited to executable
   programs (.com or .exe extensions)? Or can an operating system be
   infected from reading a document file or graphic image?

2) Are there generic "symptoms" to watch for which would indicate a virus?

3) Any suggestions on guidelines for handling system archiving
   procedures so that an infected system can be "cleaned up"?

   Thanks for the help.

   Andrew D'Uva
   Jnet--->           ADUVA@GUVAX
   Internet--->       ADUVA@GUVAX.GEORGETOWN.EDU