From: swesterback@tnclus.tele.nokia.fi (Sten Westerback, Nokia Telecommunications, FINLAND)
Subject: Re: Re: Virus?? HELP
Organization: Nokia Telecommunications.
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 14:49:42 GMT

In article <WIN3-L%92121611200155@UICVM.CC.UIC.EDU>,         Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster <POSTMASTER@UICVM.BITNET> writes:
> On Wed, 16 Dec 1992 12:09:14 EST CDICKERS said:
>>Hi evryone!
>>
>>I have just installed Windows 3.1 on my machine (a PC), and it starts
>>just allright, but the light for the hard drive keeps blinking all the
>>time, and it is VERY slow. It takes over a minute to load windows,
>>and almost as much to load word. I have a 386 with 16 megahertz.
>>Have I got a virus? Is there a virus remover for windows?
>>
>>Please help!!!!!
>>
>>-------------------------------------------
>>
>>     No, no virus for Windows yet ...(give'em time...)
I don't think he ment a remover for windows viruses. What he mean is an 
Windows application that removes DOS-viruses found in the main DOS (the
one Windows is started from). Such programs can be found but probably 
the best one is the one with the Solomon AntiVirus toolkit. It probably 
isn't the same to run a DOS virus scanner in a Window because it's memory
space isn't the same as the base-DOS. Solomon is said to really access
the actual basememory (by denying access to other programs?).

BTW. I don't think it will ever be possible to make an Windows virus. What
can be made are timebombs and things like that... The most prblematic case
would probably be an infected device driver that does what it pleases.
The EXE can of cause be infected as it does have a DOS-stub.

>>     Anyway, the reason the drive runs all the time is the Virtual Memory
>>file that windows creates when it is installed. It uses a disk file to
>>simulate memory. From the Windows desktop, do an About and see how much
>>memory you have. It will show MUCH more than you PHYSICALLY have.

Yes that's probably the problem. If the physical memory is less than 4M i
would not use any smartdrv at all (or a very small one) as there are better
uses for the memory. Anyway i would'nt even dream about running W4W on an
386 with 2MB or less. It is the memory that counts, isn't it!?
>>
>       Well, I may be quite new to this program, but the other day my
>  employer showed me a virus for Windows. There was a message over the
>  blank screen that sayed 'Too bad. You have got the A virus'. When he
> moved the mouse, it went away though, and the normal screen returned.
> 
>  Espen.
Stop kidding. This isn't the correct newsgroup for that! What you saw was 
naturally the marcuee screensaver with an unnormal message string :)

Sten 
============================================================================
Sten Westerback (BSc. electronics)          Telephone: +358+0 +5115891(work)
X400      : c=fi, a=Elisa, p=Nokia Telecom, S=Westerback, G=Sten, (u=SWS)
Internet  : swesterback@tnclus.tele.nokia.fi        Time zone : EET (=GMT+3)
Snailmail : Konalantie  12 A16, SF-00370 HELSINKI, FINLAND (EUROPE, EARTH) 
 Test the utility at WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.mil::pd1:<msdos.dirutl>swxd303d.zip
   Note that i am working, but not speaking for Nokia Telecommunications!
============================================================================
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU