Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: CHESS@YKTVMV.BITNET (David.M.Chess) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re:Mutation of Stoned/Implications for self check boot sectors(PC) Message-ID: <0004.9103291939.AA00169@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 28 Mar 91 20:28:47 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 14 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu "Nick FitzGerald" : > David - are you thinking about the (I think) Zenith machines that > write the boot time and date in the MBR each boot up, or do you mean > something different? I don't know! *8) Someone that I trust to be reasonably knowledgeable in such things told me awhile back something like (I didn't write it down) this: some hard disk controllers keep some information about the structure of the hard disk on the hard disk itself, in the MBR. If something changes that information, they write it back there again. This didn't sound terribly likely to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's either subtly misstated, or I've misremembered it. The only machines I deal with are True Blue IBM's, and I don't know of any that do things like that... DC