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Subject:
From:
Russell Smith <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 2 Jul 2000 09:19:02 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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alanpriol typed these pixels from the Land Down Under:
> In a follow up to my previous e-mail regarding the MBR, would using FDISK
> /MBR lock me out of my current OS's


   Under certain circumstances, yes. The sudden and disastrous loss of
computer data files under certain conditions is why fdisk /mbr went out
of vogue over five years ago for use in fighting virus infestations.
Here's an old FAQ from the alt.comp.virus list: (Number 4 is probably
the most likely scenario today)

                  *************************************

   You should avoid FDISK /MBR at all costs under the following
circumstances:

 1. Under an infection of viruses that don't preserve the Partition
Table e.g., Monkey, reported at 7.2% of
the infections reported to _Virus Bulletin_ for December '95, the last
report for which I have data

2. Under an infection that encrypts data on the hard drive and keeps the
key in the MBR, e.g, One_half  --
reported at 0.8% worldwide

3. When security software, e.g., PC-DACS is in use

4. When a driver like Disk Manager or EZDrive is installed

5. When a controller that stores data in (0,0,1) is in use

6. When more than one BSI virus is active, in some conditions

7. When a data diddler is active, e.g. Ripper, accountable for 3.8% of
the infections reported in the
study cited above  (N.B.: while this case won't be fixed by AV
utilities, at least one will know why
there are problems with the drive)

                            *************************************

All the best,

Russell Smith
Edtech Consultant, Journalist
Region 14 ESC Abilene
http://camalott.com/~rssmith
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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