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From: dale@bcm.tmc.edu (Dale A. Samuelsen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Virus Question
Message-ID: <839@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>
Date: 4 May 90 14:37:45 GMT
References: <3787@uwm.edu>
Sender: usenet@bcm.tmc.edu
Distribution: usa
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine
Lines: 34

In article <3787@uwm.edu> zark@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steven M Kosloske) writes:
> I ran Disenfectant and found what it
> thinks is a virus.  The error it gave me reads:
> 
>    Desktop
> ### File infected by WDEF A.
> 
> There is no file called Desktop on my drive, does this mean the desktop
> itself is infected by this virus?  It also mentions that the file is open
> so it cannot clear the virus.  What can I do about this?
> 
> None of my other files seem to be infected.

Steven -
Every initialized Macintosh Disk or Diskette has (or should have) a 
Desktop file on it.  The file is not, however, normally visible on your system. 
You might see that it's there by using a disk utility such as SUM, or 
FastBack, but otherwise you might never know of its existance.

If  Disinfectant reports you have a WDEF A virus in your Desktop file, you 
need to get a clean (read uninfected) System Diskette with a copy of your favorite de-virusing software (Disinfectant will do nicely), Boot from that diskette, then run use the de-virusing software to clean up your hard drive.  

Be prepared to reload system software and applications as de-virusing your 
files will occasionally damage their structure.

Hope this helps.  Good luck.

Dale

Dale A. Samuelsen
Baylor College of Medicine
dale@bcm.tmc.edu
--Any opinions expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily represent 
those of Baylor College of Medicine.