Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: JAHAYES%MIAMIU.BITNET@OHSTVMA.IRCC.OHIO-STATE.EDU (Josh Hayes) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Virus "WDEF A", help! (Mac) Message-ID: <0011.9011271730.AA07735@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 25 Nov 90 18:40:28 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 25 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu From the documentation that comes with Disinfectant 2.3, it seems that WDEF comes in two strains, the A and B strain; the latter beeps when it infects a new disk, the former doesn't. It attacks only the Desktop file; as a consequence, you should be able to eliminate the infection by booting from a LOCKED floppy and holding down shift-option-cloverleaf as you boot, until you get the "Are you sure you want to rebuild the desktop on "DiskName"? This may take a few minutes". Just do it. Apparently, rebuilding the desktop eliminates current infection of that file. Remember, though, that EVERY SINGLE FLOPPY that talked to your infected computer will also have an infected Desktop file and will need to have it either rebuilt, or scanned and disinfected using Disinfectant or the like. I have waged a fairly continuous war against this little booger for the last two months in our department, as there are sufficient numbers of idiots who continue to use the same old infected disks to re-infect cleaned ones....grrrrr....this particular virus is bad news especially for the portable and IIci; perhaps also for the newer models as well. Hope this helps. Josh Hayes, Zoology Department, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056 voice: 513-529-1679 fax: 513-529-6900 jahayes@miamiu.bitnet, or jahayes@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu "I am the Supreme Being, you know; I'm not completely dim."