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From: XRJDM@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV (Joe McMahon)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Re: Mac virus question (Mac)
Message-ID: <0002.9011081406.AA17159@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 6 Nov 90 14:54:15 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

>From:    "Terry (TR) Roebuck; 966-4841" <ROEBUCK@admin1.usask.ca>
>The machine:
>        MAC SE/30; 4MB & 80 MB Apple drive running 6.04; MAChine purchased
>        in spring of 1989; NEVER EVER BACKED UP!!!!! and holding the
                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>        entire financial and planning records of a local dept.
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh dear.
This is bad thing number 1. Not taking backups is the Russian Roulette
of computers. Maybe you won't get hit, and then again...

>        ... Disk
>        seems fine (physically). Only clue was that there were at least 4
>        different versions of the system on the disk; probably the result of
>        poor application install practices ....

Aaaaack!
This is *extremely* bad thing number 2. Doing this kind of thing
almost guarantees that sooner or later the Resource Manager is going
to get confused and start loading from the wrong System file... At
that point it's Katie-bar-the-door; no one can predict exactly what
will happen. Except that it probably will be bad.

The only thing that's at fault here is, as you said, "poor installation
practices". WDEF does not carry any payload which should cause these
kind of problems. However, dropping a virus into an already potentially
bad situation is simply asking for trouble.

Recommendations:
1) Take *all* of the System folders off the disk and reinstall from a
   new set of distribution disks. If you don't have them, write me
   privately and I'll help you get a copy. PLEASE use the Installer!
2) Make up a sign and post it near the Mac saying "Did we do the
   backups?". Even better, make up a startup screen that says the
   same thing. I can help on that if you need advice.

 --- Joe M.