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: f18@clark.edu (Torry V Schreiner)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Re: Odd 77-byte files (PC)
Message-ID: <0009.9105131358.AA08971@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 11 May 91 21:05:00 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
Lines: 12
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

zlsiial@cs.man.ac.uk writes:
>Some utility on my PC (running MS DOS 3.3) has been creating several
>hundred hidden files.  All had a filename of an existing COM or EXE
>file, but with the corresponding extension ._OM or ._XE, and all were
>77 bytes long.  The files are all deleted -- sorry not to have saved a
>copy -- and no available virus scanning utility reports any odd files
>anywhere.  Has anyone seen this elsewhere?

Norton's AntiVirus made all of those files.  They were checksums(or
something like that) of those .EXE and .COM files.  If you look there
should be ._VL files too.  You just killed Norton's protection scheme.
Hope you aren't still using that.