<>@7 ][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][ *4@5 BUGGER THIS! I'VE FOUND A VIRUS ON ALL MY FILES!! *3]5@6 by Skidz / A51 *1]1@7 ][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][ @1 Being careful just isn't enough sometimes. I thought I was very careful due to the fact that I had Virus Checker (latest version) running constantly on my WBench. That was until I tried to unpack a file on my HD so I could edit it via a Hex Editor. The damned file wouldn't unpack! ]5What was I doing wrong?]1 I knew it was a PowerPacked file due to it's header ID, but for some strange reason, PPacker didn't want to know! So XPK was loaded and it too gave me the thumbs down :( ]5What was wrong with this file?]1 I remember packing it only a few weeks ago! To cut a very long story short, I reverted to the original file (on floppy - backup) and noticed that it was a smaller size than the one on my HD! ]5What's going on?]1 So I had a read at the file (executable file) on my HD via a Hex Editor anyway and, sure enough, there was the PP Header ID, but at the end of the file there was a line which said: *3@3 Happy New Year 1996*1@1 ]5Eeeek!]1 Now if you know anything about packed files, you'll know that any text in the program cannot be read in this way. The cruncher sorta encrypts all the text and therefore makes it unreadable. ]5So how on Earth could I read this message?]1 There's only one thing that could do such a thing - a VIRUS! I thought. After all, the file must have been written to after it was packed or I wouldn't be able to read the text mentioned above. So Virus Checker in file check mode and off we go.... Nope! No Virus detected! Strange! I couldn't work it out! I had a look at some other files on my HD and sure enough, there were quite a few which carried the Happy New Year text. ]5FIRK!]1 It ]5MUST]1 be a Virus causing this. There's only one thing for it, I must try a different virus checker program. Into my CD drive goes one of the CU coverdisks and I spot Virus Z. I set all the options and set it on a search of all files. Bugger me backwards and call me zYLAX, if it didn't report that most of my files were infected with the deadly bug! Virus Z simply erased the virus from each file and I gave a sigh of relief to myself and reset my Amiga! Just as I pushed the keys I suddenly had this awful thought.... ]5"Andy ya daft git! You're supposed to switch off for a minute, not just reset, ya silly phuk!"]1 Sure enough, most of my WB stuff was simply infected yet again! Virus Z to the rescue - ]5Yippeeee!]1 Now switch off and to make sure, I'll leave it off for 2 minutes. That should erase the bugger from memory. Loading back up my HD and Virus Z, the virus was reported yet again on my WB files!!! ]5WHAT?]1 Bugger! I tried and tried, but I couldn't get rid of this bloody Virus any way I tried! Without going into too much detail, I was gonna format my WB partition and simply re-install WB again. Then I had a cunning thought! I bet the file causing the probs is write-protected or summit and Virus Z can't save a fixed file over the corrupt file. Yip, sure enough (after about half a bloody hour of file scanning) I managed to track down one lousy little file which was causing the prob. ]5"Hoi Ya Little Git! Take That!"]1 Now I am happy to say that I am "Virus Free" once more. Please do check your HD and every ]5NEW]1 disk sent to you. You never know what's around the corner. I was lucky. None of my files were corrupted and Virus Z ]5(bless it!)]1 did a really good job. It just goes to show you that the more virus checkers [4 that you have, the better chance you have of finding any shitty little gits lurking around your files. If you can't get rid of a virus, take note of the above and check for Write-Protected and Delete-Protected files. Virus Z saved my bacon and the author should be thanked. I don't have any money to send to him, but I might just send him a free copy of one of my programs to show that I am one happy user. If you use it, and it's saved your bacon, do the same. Let Amiga authors know that you ]5DO]1 care and that you ]5DO]1 use their program(s). I don't know where this Virus came from (or who), but one things for sure, I was very lucky to find it by pure accident only. After all, I had Virus Checker running all the time. Please get hold of Virus Z and let it do the business for you. It seems to be a better option at present (August 1996). Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what the Happy New Year 1996 Virus was all about? It didn't seem to do any damage to my files, but then again, my clock wasn't set at 1st January 1996 when I was infected! I don't think it would be a wise idea to even attempt to set my date to the 1st day of 1996 - just in case that triggers off the virus. Who knows what might happen then? A full deletion of all infected files maybe? If anyone does know what its purpose was, write in and let us all know. And also let us know of any other uncommon virus infections you may know of that Virus Checker can't find! *3@5 T.T.F.N. (Ta Ta For Now)@7 L8R