Thanks James for the information about the two important programs:
Format.com and Fdisk.exe. Much appreciated.
Note: The address you have provided for the Nuts and Volts should
probably read: www.nutsvolts.com instead of www.nutsvolst.com
in case someone else is interested to visit the site.
=======================================================================
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Osbourne, Holmes" <[email protected]>
To: "Silver-List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 11:34 PM
Subject: CS>OFF TOPIC, but of value to most list memers: Simple, very effective
Security procedure.
> You can disable the two DOS programs which evil hackers most often use to
> wipe out your hard drive data. DOS is still there, running behind windows;
> at least through Millennium Edition; I don't know about Win2K.
>
> [Not all hackers are maleficent, quite the contrary; they are mostly the
> good guys. The media tells us they are all demons, and can launch ICBMs by
> simply whistling the correct series of tones into a telephone. Remember; it
> was hackers who gave us PGP]
>
> Rename the file extension of the two files fdisk.exe, and format.com, so
> that they are no longer executable; even if a worm or other cyberpathogen
> gets in it cannot use these utilities to do damage.
>
> 1. Start, Programs, MS-DOS prompt.
>
> 2. Note the command prompt: C:\>
>
> 3. Type cd\windows\command This takes you to the command directory
> [Remember, when we had to do stuff like this to do anything on our
> computer?]
>
> 4. Type this: rename format.com format.con [then, hit return.]
>
> 5. Then type: rename fdisk.exe fdisk.exx [then, hit return.]
>
> 6. If you need to use these programs for the purpose for which they are
> intended, do the same procedure, only correct the changes back to .exe and
> .com Don't mix the extensions between the programs; fdisk is exe and format
> is com
>
> 7. If you have trouble, consult with someone who still remembers how to
> use DOS commands. Spacing and punctuation must be exact. The change of the
> file extension [the three letters to the right of the dot, does not matter;
> you may use anything except .exe or .com. For example .cox or .zzz or
> whatever. Using the above characters will make it easier to remember the
> correct extension. By convention, .com and .exe tell the operating system
> that the file is "executable", i.e. it is a program which will perform some
> series of actions when called by the operating system or another program.
>
> I am not certain that I have every detail correct; you may need to do other
> procedures in your machine to get to the right directory containing these
> files, but this is the basic principle.
>
> Do not be misled into thinking this will protect you from more sophisticated
> attacks. Keep your anti-virus programs armed and loaded with the latest
> updates, and still use caution opening attachments.
>
> This is courtesy of a gentleman named M.L. Shannon, and was swiped without
> guilt from the May 2001 edition of Nuts and Volts, an excellent electronics
> print magazine.
>
> www.nutsvolst.com <http://www.nutsvolst.com/> .
>
> JOH
>
> James-Osbourne: Holmes
>
>
--
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