TIP: Click on subject to list as thread! ANSI
echo: virus_info
to: KURT WISMER
from: JACK PFISTERER
date: 1997-11-24 13:20:00
subject: IBM ANTIVIRUS - UPDATE

KW> glad you got everything working satisfactorily...
KW>  JP> The next step is to write a batch file to update the diskette AV 
files
  >  JP> automatically after the hard drive files are updated.
KW> now that i don't agree with... you have a write protected bootable
  > floppy that is write protected so that when you place it in the drive
  > after booting from the hd, the floppy won't get infected by any known or
  > unknown virus...
* * *
KW> you should boot from that clean write protected bootable floppy disk
  > before you remove it's write protection and update it... the update
  > should be performed after a floppy boot with no files on the hard drive
  > being executed... then replace the write protection when the update is
  > done...
Hmmmm.  Words of wisdom!
I did keep the original diskette (that came with IBMAV) inviolate, and
created a new one using the program that was included on the IBMAV CD-ROM
for that purpose.  But even that procedure (specified in the IBMAV user
manual) assumes that the HD is clean, as it specifically uses the DOS OS
files from the hard drive.  Looks like IBM _really_ didn't think through
the diskette part of the system.
It would appear that there's no way to create an immaculate bootable
diskette.  So, accepting that apparently-unavoidable degree of risk,
I think I'll try the following to benefit from your good advice:
a.  Run the full IBMAV and F-PROT programs on all of the bootable
    diskettes while they are still copy-protected.
b.  Boot from the protected BOOTOS2 diskettes and proceed from the A:
    drive command prompt without activating any DOS or hard-drive
    programs.
c.  Manually copy the update files from the original, downloaded ZIP
    file (on one of the hard drives) to the OS/2 AV diskette.  (Assume
    that the files still within the .ZIP archive are unlikely to have
    been contaminated.)
d.  Run the renewed OS/2 AV program from the diskette to check the
    system and the OS/2 and DOS boot diskettes.
e.  Use the TEdit program (already on the OS/2 boot diskettes) to
    create the desired batch files on the OS/2 and DOS AV diskettes.
    The batch files will be set up to extract the update files from
    downloaded ZIP files on the hard drive rather than using the
    files already extracted to D:\IBMAV.
f.  Boot from the protected DOS or OS/2 floppies to apply subsequent
    updates to the floppies as you advise.
Undetected viruses could remain on the diskettes or the hard drives
even with this procedure, but that risk should diminish over time as
the IBMAV capabilities advance and are applied to the system.
Thanks, Kurt!
Jack P.
--- FLAME v1.0
---------------
* Origin: L.A. Valley College BBS (818)985-7150 (1:102/837)

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