[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference powdml::pc_security

Title:PERSONAL COMPUTER SECURITY
Notice:SWEEP servers Note 5; more info on www-is-security.mso.dec.com
Moderator:BSS::BOREN
Created:Wed Jan 02 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:504
Total number of notes:2905

485.0. "Virus Free Boot Disk: Sweep 95" by NETRIX::"[email protected]" (Roger Newhall) Wed Feb 26 1997 16:52

Can I get a "known virus free boot disk" from Sweep 95.  As you know,
downloading an Anti-Virus program and using it on your computer when your
computer is not a "known virus free" environment is useless.  Proper
anti-virus technique dictates you one starts the anti-virus process with a 
"known virus free boot disk".  Of course the best way to get that is directly
from the manufacturer in a shrink wrap package.
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
485.1BBQ::WOODWARDC...but words can break my heartThu Feb 27 1997 19:2623
    um,
    
    (not that I know anything) but "probably not". To distribute a copy of
    the OS on the diskette (and >90% of the time we are talking a micro$lop
    'os') would require Sophos to pay $$'s (or ��'s ;') to (most likely) 
    Uncle Bill.
    
    The usual method is to use your original ms-dog diskettes which are (in
    theory) virus free, to boot from, and create another bootable diskette
    (format /s) or 'sys' the Sweep diskette.
    
    I don't know of any anti-virus manufacturer that sells their product on
    a bootable disk (correct me if I'm wrong).
    
    Yes, this leads to a "Catch-22" situation.
    
    One of the 'nice' things a few years ago, was that the internal
    distribution of F-prot (I think it was?) could be acquired on a 'known
    clean disk'.
    
    hth,
    
    Harry
485.2Suggestion: Verify on Windows-NTVARDAF::BERBIGIERNo known policy forbids common senseFri Feb 28 1997 03:3612
Boot sector viruses can cause damages to Windows-NT, but 
once Windows-NT is booted, none of them is able to survive
in the 32 bits environment. (today)

Create a bootable floppy on a guessed CLEAN PC.

Scan this diskette on a Windows-NT system using SWEEP-NT

If Sweep reports no virus, then there are great chances
that you diskette is clean !

Pierre