Re: bios/security

From: *** (deichhorst@monarch.net)
Date: 01/17/03 

From: "***" <deichhorst@monarch.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 16:53:18 -0800

 Thank you Bruce for your time;

no I am not getting ang error messages, however Iseem to
be getting quite a bit of duplicate stuff on my machine
and my antivirus quarantined one again just the other
day, further to that in my event viewer just a while ago
in (in applications ) I got a message which said the
files are corrupt and all it showed was little folder
icons and nothing more-----ever since the dates in
applications are three days behind everything else----
puzzling
***
>-----Original Message-----
>Greetings --
>
> To see if there is a BIOS flash available for your
motherboard,
>simply use the Asus web site's Download page to search
for files
>intended for your specific motherboard (of which there
appear to be 4
>different varieties.).
>
>http://www.asus.com/support/download/item.aspx?
ModelName=A7N266
>
> Problems with the BOOT.INI file or drive imaging
software will
>have absolutely no affect upon you BIOS or the CMOS
EEPROM. While it
>is theoretically possible for a virus to write to an
EEPROM, such
>viruses are extremely rare, as they'd have to be
designed for the
>specific chip and BIOS version currently in use.
Nothing you've said
>gives me any reason to believe that you have fallen
victim to a virus.
>The BIOS virus warning utility is virtually useless, as
it is
>triggered by any attempt to write to the MBR portion of
the hard
>drive, which is necessary during an OS installation.
>
> In sum, you probably don't need a BIOS upgrade,
almost definitely
>do not need a replacement EEPROM, and also do not have a
virus. What
>you have had is a botched installation of the OS,
probably contributed
>to by the imaging software. If you have since formatted
your hard
>drive and subsequently properly reinstalled the OS, you
shouldn't have
>any problems.
>
> Are you currently experiencing any problems or error
messages?
>
>
>
>Bruce Chambers
>Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
>http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>----
>You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't
ever count on
>having both at once. -- RAH
>
>
>"***" <deichhorst@monarch.net> wrote in message
>news:599f01c2bd77$7be55460$d2f82ecf@TK2MSFTNGXA09...
>>
>> From: "***" <deichhorst@monarch.net> Sent: 1/15/2003
>> 1:37:58 AM
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi and thank you;
>> can anyone offer me any further insights into my
problem?
>> thanks ***
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear sirs/madams;
>>
>> I cannot seem to get an answer to what I think
technical
>> people should be able to answer for me either at my
local
>> distributor or Asus support after some three emails.
>>
>> I wrote enquiring about the possibility for flashing my
>> bios, or replacing my programmable EEPROM chip for the
>> following reasons.
>>
>> Some time ago I was trying to use drive image software
to
>> copy drives to create a back up disk,
>> The software was faulty and far too much trouble to
deal
>> with so I abandon the idea of dual drives and went back
>> to a single drive;
>>
>> Because of this process I have ended up with two
editions
>> of my operating system in the recovery console;
>>
>> I believe this happed due to editing the INI file and
the
>> drive image software;
>>
>> I also had a virus warning in your Award bios page
when I
>> was adjusting settings;
>>
>> I still do not know if this was a genuine virus or an
>> erroneous one;
>>
>> I have uninstalled and reinstalled my operating system
>> over and over again to try and show only the single XP
>> home edition operating system which I have on my
machine
>> at the present time;
>>
>> I have only one question that I have been trying to
get a
>> definite answer to for over two months, which is as
>> follows;
>>
>> If I delete and format all removable drives to
reinstall
>> my operating system once again is it at all possible
for
>> any virus code to remain in the programmable EEPROM or
>> any other part of my Asus mother board?
>> And If in the process of editing the INI file as I have
>> mentioned, Can you tell me if I may have inadvertently
>> altered a file in the bios which may be causing me the
>> problem of still showing dual drives and showing all
>> kinds of duplicate files ;
>>
>> Before I attempt to do something as drastic as perhaps
>> doing a bad flash unnecessarily I would really like an
>> answer to these questions;
>> This is the information which I found behind your award
>> bios page;
>>
>> ASUS A7N266 acpi Bios rev 1001.A AMD athlon tm XP
>> 1600+Memory test:524288k ok award plug and play bios
>> extension V1.0A.
>> If I find that I do need a new chip is the above
>> information all that you require?
>> Thank You best regards;
>> *** Eichhorst
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>.
>