Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!dlyons
From: dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Virus on the GS?
Keywords: Virus GS WriteIt?
Message-ID: <42492@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 29 Jun 90 18:55:54 GMT
References: <923@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 56

In article <923@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au> u8530671@cs.uow.edu.au (Mark 'Scunge' Wann) writes:
>	G'day. The following is being posted on behalf of a friend of 
>mine (Brian) who is probably having trouble with viruses and wants to
>know if there's a known problem with any of the software he was using
>or [...]

Brian is probably *not* having trouble with viruses.

>[...] So, he reboots the machine and put stuff back on his RAM disk. On a
>hunch, he also checked out what Vaccine had to say about his files and 
>according to the .VAC files, things kept changing (particularly the first
>file on the disk in alphabetical order), regardless of whether or not the
>files were actually being used by any program he knew he was using.

What files were changing?  It's hard to make a judgement about this without
knowing any details.  I don't see any reason to be getting overly worried
about viruses here--especially on a RAM disk, a buggy DA or application
could be accidentally stepping on some RAM it doesn't own.  If it's always
stepping in the same place, it makes sense that it will mess up the
something in the same alphabetical position on the RAM disk, if the files
were copied there with the Finder from a View By Name window, for example.

>Now, the tricky bit: he decided to check out some more NDAs and 
>got into WriteIt (I don't know which version) and instead of the expected 
>window got a dialog box with a single button (labelled "Die!"). Having no
>disks in his drives to corrupt, he hit the button and after a little while
>was thrown into the monitor.

I showed the original message to C. K. Haun, and here's his reply:
----------
I'm the guy who wrote WriteIt!, and it sure isn't a virus.

The dialog box your friend saw comes up when WriteIt! is unable to load/start
up the tools it needs to operate, and it crashes.  Nasty way to exit, but NDAs
failing on Open is nasty anyway.

And he problably doesn't have the latest version, the current version of
WriteIt is 2.03, and is available on GEnie.

I really want to put this to rest fast, since WriteIt! is a very handy NDA,
and it sure as hell ain't a virus.

C.K. Haun
haun@apple.com
----------

>				Mark "Scunge" Wann
>				u8530671@wraith.cs.uow.oz (or something)
-- 
David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
Apple II Developer Technical Support      |   P.O. Box 875
America Online: Dave Lyons                |   Cupertino, CA 95015-0875
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My opinions are my own, not Apple's.