Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!usc!apple!dlyons
From: dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Finder suggestion for Dave Lyons
Message-ID: <43259@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 23 Jul 90 01:01:16 GMT
References: <3177.apple.net2@pro-grouch>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 30

In article <3177.apple.net2@pro-grouch> rond@pro-grouch.cts.com (Ron Dippold) writes:
>I usually consider FINDER.DATA and FINDER.ROOT to be very nasty viruses when
>they go around inserting themselves into directories where I don't want
>them...  Luckily, you can set the preferences!

Your dislike of "finder droppings" is noted.

These are *not* viruses, though.  You know that already, but I will take a
minute to point it out for any folks who get most of their information
from messages like these.

It's important for people understand what viruses are and what they should
be concerned about, and not conclude "Oh no, I've got a virus!" every time
they get an I/O error or a disk scan or a file they don't remember
creating (it was probably created legitimately by a program they tried out
once...check the date and try to remember).

Anyway:  A *virus* is a program that inserts itself into other programs.

Finder.Data and Finder.Root and Finder.Def files are data files created
by the Finder.  They just have information in them, and they're
perfectly normal.
-- 
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
GEnie: D.LYONS2 or DAVE.LYONS         CompuServe: 72177,3233
Internet/BITNET:  dlyons@apple.com    UUCP:  ...!ames!apple!dlyons
   
My opinions are my own, not Apple's.