Re: bios/security

From: Bruce Chambers (bchambers@nospam.cableone.net)
Date: 01/17/03 

From: "Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@nospam.cableone.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 18:06:56 -0700

Greetings --

    Are your anti-virus definition files up-to date, and do you have a
firewall installed? Also, have you scanned for any spyware that you
may have inadvertently installed?

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:733701c2bdc2$d3732900$8af82ecf@TK2MSFTNGXA03...
>
>  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
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >.
> >
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