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Subject:
From:
Mike Whalen <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 22 Dec 2001 02:02:25 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Hello Ellen,

Friday, December 21, 2001, 7:38:57 PM, you wrote:


E> So yeah, it's occurred to me too that it might be a
E> big Dell conspiracy to track their customers for
E> "research" purposes or something.

I'm sorry; I didn't mean to imply that. I meant that restoring a
system from the Dell-provided CDs will bring back a system with OEM
software installed and all. So, if GoBack was part of the original
installation, it will come back when you use the system restore disk.

It wouldn't surprise me that GoBack would be part of an OEM's original
system configuration. It is a nice feature if there's a problem and
you need to get back to a previous OS state.

E> If anything, I think it's more likely to be at the
E> "build/tech" level - some corrupted piece of hardware
E> put in the pc prior to shipping. Then there's no
E> DIRECT tie-back to Dell or anyone else.

I'm not suggesting a conspiracy.

Question for you: What is your PCs environment? Are you a home user
with no other PCs or users physically near? Are you in an office?

E> Anyway, I do think it was some sort of "program" put
E> together with hacked, legit software (GoBack.io, and
E> Bootlk.* (~!BOOTLK*) being excellent examples). But I
E> think that whoever did this would need to be IN your
E> computer to implant it to just the right spot.

Not necessarily. This is the point I'm trying to make: If you use the
System Restore discs, and these applications were part of the original
installation, they will return to the hard disk.

For what it's worth, these applications you mention aren't necessarily
problems. GoBack you know about. Bootlk is a file from Norton's For
Your Eyes only package which, yes, will survive a fdisk unless you
specifically destroy the MBR.

Here's some more info:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&threadm=6hi92r%24d3h%40service.symantec.com&rnum=4&prev=/groups%3Fq%3DBootlock%26hl%3Den

E> Lastly, the reason "GoBack.io" has survived fdisks,
E> several types of debugs and formatting on drive C:, is
E> because it's not ON drive C:. It's on the mysterious &
E> elusive drive A:

But if this is an install of Norton's Your Eyes Only, then this "A:"
is likely created by YEO. It's hard to say since YEO has been
discontinued for awhile.

But anyway, I suspect the reason it might survive is you still have an
old MBR on your hard drive. If you were to re-try fdisk, execute fdisk
/mbr to re-write the Master Boot Record.

But all this is likely irrelvent.

What is the current state of the system?

Cheers,

Mike...

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