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From: maimer@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: re: help with mac "virus"? (Mac)
Message-ID: <0014.9105091351.AA04501@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 8 May 91 20:43:49 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

CANDERSO@uga.cc.uga.edu (Christopher T. Anderson) writes:
>> recently, we've come across a problem with one of the macs in our lab.
>> we really don't know if it's a virus or not, but it does act something
>> like one.  anyway, here are the symptoms:
>>
>> - - the mac has a 40 meg hard disk
>> - - there is only about 16 meg of software installed
>> - - both the finder and mactools report 38 meg used, 2 meg free
>> - - disinfectant can't find anything, and neither can virus detective
>> - - there are no hidden files anywhere on the disk (if there are, neither
>>   mactools nor resedit can find them)
>> - - the "virus" hasn't spread to any of our other macs
>>
>> what we really want to know is: is this some sort of new virus, or is
>> our mac just confused?"
>
> This problem is not necessarilt indicative of a virus, but an
> otherwise corrupted Directory (or possibly Desktop).  You could try
> rebuilding your Desktop, but probably should defrag/optimize the
> drive.  This would rebuild your directory.  For this I reccomend Disk
> Express II, it has always worked wonders for me.

It could also be damaged extents tree or some arcane part of the disk
like that.  If rebuilding the desktop doesn't help, consider running
Norton's Disk Doctor (part of Norton Utilities for the Mac).  This has
found problems with several of our drives which kept them from
optimizing (the damaged area said part of the disk was in use when it
wasn't really and so the optimizer couldn't find the file to pick up,
got confused and said the h*ll with it and woiuld quit).

           |\   \\\\__       Tony Maimer                __
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