Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!biar!trebor
From: trebor@biar.UUCP (Robert J Woodhead)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: WARNING - POSSIBLE APRIL FOOLS VIRUS THAT TRASHES HARD DISKS
Keywords: VIRUS MALEVOLENT APRIL FOOLS
Message-ID: <423@biar.UUCP>
Date: 1 Apr 89 01:14:02 GMT
Organization: Biar Games, Inc.
Lines: 31

I have just gotten off the phone with a VIREX user at a major
corporation.  He had an unusual thing happen to him that has me
seriously concerned.

I want to emphasize that this report is UNCONFIRMED.  The user is doing
tests and has promised to report results to me tonight.  I will post a
followup message as soon as I can.

Here is what happened:  The user booted his machine, heard what he
described as "a melody", and his machine crashed.  He could not reboot.
When he rebooted from floppy, his hard disk was smashed.

What makes this significant is that according to him, this machine had
it's system clock set forward one day; that is, it read "April 1, 1989".
This raises the possibility of a new, malevolent virus that goes off on
April Fools Day.

It is possible, even likely, that this is a coincidence, and not a virus.
However, I am sufficiently concerned that I am posting this notice to warn
people.  Until more is known, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU SET THE CLOCK BACK ON
YOUR MACS BY ONE WEEK OR MORE.  Do not let your Mac's boot with a System
Date of April 1.  Boot off locked System Master Floppies and set your date
and time back.

As reports come in, I will post new information to the net.

As for me, I am hoping that this is not a virus.
-- 
* Robert J Woodhead * The true meaning of life is cunningly encrypted and *
* uunet!biar!trebor * hidden somewhere in this signature...               *
* Biar Games, Inc.  *                       ...no, go back and look again *