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From: cos@lclark.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Avoiding anti-viral inits (Mac)
Message-ID: <0008.9010171920.AA12825@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 16 Oct 90 00:10:29 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
Lines: 21
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

I've been working as a disk repair person for my college's computing
services center, and I've noticed something interesting: When I am
copying (MacTools) or repairing (Norton Utilities) a disk, the Virex
Init will not ask me if I want to scan the disk for viruses, at least
not at first.  Once Norton has --oops, backup.  This only happens if
the disk is damaged and has no working desktop.  Once Norton has
rebuilt the desktop, Virex pops up (while Norton is running--this
really surprised me the first time it happened) to see about scanning
for viruses.  My question is, can a virus spread from a disk when the
desktop is inactive, or when another program is working on the disk,
either copying, bit-editing, repairing, or what-have-you.  I know that
Norton will find viruses while repairing (very impressive!), but what
about other programs?

Thanks,

John Costello
ACS, student worker
Lewis and Clark college
PDX, OR 97219
cos@lclark