Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!unlinfo.unl.edu!hoss!greg
From: greg@hoss.unl.edu (Lig Lury Jr.)
Subject: Re: Apple virus?
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.225332.16920@unlinfo.unl.edu>
Sender: news@unlinfo.unl.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: hoss.unl.edu
Organisation: GBBS/ACOS Sysop Support
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
References: <11877@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1991 22:53:32 GMT
Lines: 52

smcafee@jarthur.claremont.edu (Sean McAfee) writes:

>My apologies is this has been discussed here before; the sheer volume of
>articles on this newsgroup prevents me from reading it more than
>sporadically.  Anyhow:  within the last few weeks I have been having a
>problem with my communications software: ProTerm version 2.1.  At
>irritatingly regular frequencies when using ProTerm, my keyboard has either
>(a) locked up completely, and/or (b) spontaneously sent a large number of the
>same character to the mainframe to which I was connected, on one occasion
>deleting two lines of a file I was editing with Jove.  Both of these
>conditions typically necessitate turning the power off and restarting; the
>keyboard freeze extends to the control-open apple-reset combination.
>Lately, I can count on at least one of these maladies striking my computer
>at least every half-hour; in fact, it happened twice while I was writing
>this very article (!).

You might not have a good connection between your keyboard and your
computer.  At the next lockup, jiggle the cable between the keyboard and
computer and see if that clears up the problem.  ProTERM is very interrupt
driven, and keyboard quirks really confuse it.  (That and a remote system
constantly sending ^Ms are two common causes of ProTERM lockups.  The
second I am only able to fix by inducing line noise and then trying to
interrupt the process, or dropping carrier.)

Also, I suggest you get ProTERM v2.2.  V2.1 has problems, including but
not limited to Kermit protocol and VT-100 emulation.  V2.2 has less
problems.

>Actually, come to think of it, this problem is not entirely restricted to
>ProTerm; a few weeks ago when the problem was first manifesting itself, the
>keyboard froze when I was running SoundSmith.  This was odd, because while
>the keyboard was completely frozen, the mouse, which runs through the
>keyboard, was functioning normally.

It may not be the same exact parts of the cable.

>Is this some kind of virus?  If so, how can I get rid of it?

Viruses are more likely to destroy data or print cute messages on the
screen, not randomly lockup keyboards.  More likely it is a hardware
problem.

>Thanks for any help,

>Sean McAfee
>smcafee@jarthur.claremont.eduuuuuuuu

--
///   ____   \\\ "It says, `Golgafrincham Ark Fleet, Ship B, Hold 7, Telephone
| |/ /    \ \| |  Sanitizer, Second Class,' and a serial number." "A telephone
 \\_(\____/)_//                sanitizer?  A dead telephone sanitizer?"  "Best
greg \_\\\/ hoss.unl.edu       kind." "But what's he doing here?" "Not a lot."