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- SYMANTEC CORPORATION - PETER NORTON GROUP
- READ.ME file for The Norton Virus Scan
- August 15, 1992
-
- Welcome to The Norton Virus Scan!
-
- This file contains information about The Norton Virus Scan, a scan-only
- version of The Norton AntiVirus.
-
- To print this file from the DOS prompt, type:
-
- COPY READ.ME PRN:
-
-
- This document has four sections:
-
- 1. Technical Support Information: where to go for help on using The Norton
- Virus Scan.
- 2. Ordering Information: tells you how to order the complete version of The
- Norton AntiVirus.
- 3. Technical Information: includes information about the complete version of
- The Norton AntiVirus.
- 4. General Virus Information: describes the ten most common DOS viruses.
-
-
- TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION
-
- Recorded technical support information for the The Norton Virus Scan is
- available from our 24-hour Virus Newsline at 1-310-828-2906, or you can speak
- with an experienced virus technician by dialing 1-900-INFO-NAV (at a fee of
- $1.00 per minute). Free technical support is not available for The Norton
- Virus Scan, but is available for registered owners of the complete version
- of The Norton AntiVirus.
-
-
- ORDERING INFORMATION
-
- To purchase the complete version of The Norton AntiVirus for DOS and Windows,
- see your local dealer or call one of the following numbers:
-
- United States: 1-800-343-4714 Ext. 766
- Europe: 31-71-353-100
- United Kingdom: 0628-776-343
- Germany: 02-11-99170
- France: 01-47-72-16-50
- Australia: 02-879-6577
- Canada: 1-416-366-0423
- Other countries: 1-408-252-3570
-
- To obtain additional copies of The Norton Virus Scan, download them from the
- Symantec BBS or CompuServe:
-
- Symantec BBS (2400 baud): 1-408-973-9598
- Symantec BBS (9600 baud): 1-408-973-9834
-
- CompuServe: Enter "GO NORUTL" at any prompt.
-
-
- TECHNICAL INFORMATION
-
- To launch The Norton Virus Scan, type NAVSCAN at the DOS prompt.
-
- WARNING: Do not run The Norton Virus Scan on Tandy 1000 computers!
- Unpredictable results may occur.
-
- This freeware version of The Norton AntiVirus does not offer all of the
- features available in the complete version of The Norton AntiVirus. It is
- designed to allow scanning of executable files only for viruses (viruses
- cannot infect data files) and to give you an overall feeling for the program.
- Options that are not available will still appear on the menus; when you
- select such an option, a dialog box explaining its main features will appear.
-
- The complete version of The Norton AntiVirus for DOS and Windows is a
- comprehensive solution for preventing viruses from infecting your computer. It
- detects and removes over 1300 known viruses and virus strains. In addition, it
- protects against unknown viruses by monitoring your system for irregular file
- activity. Should The Norton AntiVirus detect an infection, it can repair most
- infected files quickly and easily before the virus damages your system. An
- exclusive self-update feature lets you instantly protect your system from
- newly discovered viruses by calling Symantec's Virus Newsline at (310)
- 828-2906 (available in the USA only).
-
- In addition, The Norton AntiVirus features the following:
-
- Virus Intercept - A memory-resident device driver that protects your system
- against infection by monitoring file execution. It detects known viruses
- and even keeps watch for "virus-like" file activity. "Virus-like" activity may
- mean the presence of a new and unknown virus. Virus Intercept requires as
- little as 1K RAM, and can load into high memory.
-
- Virus Clinic - The full screen application that scans your memory and drives
- for the presence of known and unknown viruses. It is here that you can
- configure the Virus Intercept, network and user options, as well as attempt
- to repair virus-infected files.
-
- Flexible scanning features - The Norton AntiVirus can be configured to quickly
- check your entire computer system for virus infection. Scanning can be set to
- occur every time you start your computer, or only on demand.
-
- Virus updates - The Norton AntiVirus lets you immediately upgrade your
- protection without having to wait for software updates. Symantec's 24-hour
- Virus Newsline offers access to the latest-breaking news about new viruses
- and instructions on how to instantly protect your system from them. Virus
- updates can be downloaded from the Symantec BBS or CompuServe, entered
- manually with information obtained from the Symantec Virus Faxline, or
- obtained on disk from the Symantec AntiVirus Update subscription (SAV-U)
- program.
-
- Configurable options - Gives you control over the way The Norton AntiVirus
- operates. You can customize scanning options and the virus alert messages,
- select from three different levels of virus defense, and more. Your settings
- can be password-protected to provide complete protection.
-
- Audit trail - Tracks all virus-related activity and saves that information to
- an ASCII text file.
-
- Integrated DOS and Windows application - The Norton AntiVirus is both a
- complete Windows application and an easy-to-use DOS program, offering
- comprehensive virus defense for both DOS and Windows users.
-
- Network support - The Norton AntiVirus supports Novell NetWare, 3Com OPEN, OS/2
- LAN Manager, AT&T Starlan and more.
-
- System Requirements:
-
- IBM PC, PC XT, PC AT, PS/2 and compatibles
- DOS 3.1 or higher
- 512K RAM
- RAM-resident option requires as little as 1K RAM
- Compatible with Microsoft Windows 3.0 or later
- Works with any floppy disk, hard disk, or removable media
- Mouse support
- Network compatible with Novell Netware, 3Com OPEN, OS/2 LAN Manager and more
-
-
- GENERAL VIRUS INFORMATION
-
- The ten most common DOS viruses are as follows:
-
- Stoned:
- The most common virus. Infects the hard disk partition table and floppy
- diskette boot sectors.
-
- Jerusalem-B:
- Activates on Friday the 13th. The second most common virus. Strain will delete
- any files executed on a Friday the 13th. Can cause an enormous amount of file
- growth due to multiple infections.
-
- Disk Killer:
- Activates after 48 hours of computer usage time. The single most destructive
- MS-DOS virus. It writes over the entire hard disk and irrevocably destroys all
- data.
-
- Frodo (4096):
- Activates on September 22nd. This destructive memory-resident virus uses
- stealth techniques to cross-link files and may corrupt data files.
-
- Ping-Pong (Italian-A):
- A boot-sector infector that activates on a random basis, sending a white ball
- bouncing around the screen.
-
- Joshi:
- Activates on January 5th. A stealth infector of floppy diskette boot sectors
- and hard disk partition tables. It displays a message asking the user to type
- "Happy Birthday Joshi."
-
- Michelangelo:
- The Michelangelo virus activates itself on March 6th, the anniversary of
- Michelangelo's birth. The Michelangelo virus is spread only by floppy disks,
- not over networks or by connecting to electronic on-line services and bulletin
- boards. The virus is transferred to memory and hard disks when an attempt is
- made to start (boot) your computer from a floppy disk that is infected. The
- floppy disk does not have to be a bootable floppy disk; it can be a floppy disk
- with data files on it. Once the virus is on your hard disk, it will infect
- every floppy disk that you put in your computer, thereby creating further
- infections that help it continue to spread.
-
- If a computer is infected with Michelangelo when it is started on March 6th,
- the virus will be activated and will begin formatting the hard disk. This will
- cause all data on the hard disk to be irretrievably destroyed.
-
- Yankee Doodle:
- A memory-resident infector that plays "Yankee Doodle" at 5:00 P.M. and
- increases the infected program size.
-
- Azusa:
- This virus infects hard disk partition tables and floppy diskette boot sectors.
- It occasionally disables the LPT1 and COM1 ports. It can also cause floppy
- drives to refuse to acknowledge that disks have been swapped.
-
- Dark Avenger:
- Infects .COM, .EXE and .SYS files. After every sixteenth file has been
- infected, the virus overwrites a random sector of the hard disk, destroying
- programs and data files in that sector.
-
- For additional virus information, phone the Symantec Virus Newsline at
- 1-310-828-2906 (available in the USA only).
-
- ** END OF READ.ME **