Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!HELIOS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU!davidbrierley From: davidbrierley@HELIOS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Write Protection Message-ID: Date: 4 Jun 90 20:49:07 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 36 The follwing is an excerpt from the Virus-L Digest (Volume: 3 Issue: 105). Can someone, preferably from Apple, clarify where the write protection mechanism is. It is my understanding that early Apple disk drives had the write protection mechanism based in software, while "newer" drives, including those of the present, have the mechanism in hardware. Again, an official word from Apple would be most welcome, especially if a year and serial number are given for when the "new" disk drives (with hardware-based write protection) were produced. If an Apple representative does answer, I'd appreciate it if they cross-post the response to Virus-L at the "Reply To:" address below; otherwise I can cross-post it myself. Thank you, in advance (and I'm sorry if I have raised this issue a second time). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 1 Jun 90 15:49:44 EDT From: "The Moderator Kenneth R. van Wyk" Subject: VIRUS-L Digest V3 #105 Reply-to: VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.LEHIGH.edu VIRUS-L Digest Friday, 1 Jun 1990 Volume 3 : Issue 105 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 May 90 21:13:27 -0400 From: simsong@next.cambridge.ma.us (Simson L. Garfinkel) Subject: write-protection viruses Write protection on the Apple II computer is done in software; on this machine a virus could overcome write-protection on a floppy disk. I once used a program that "degaused" a floppy disk in 15 seconds or so on the Apple II, even if the floppy disk was write protected. ------------------------------