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Re: Happy'99
- To: Ernest Snavely <ka4slq@juno.com>, Mike Tove <mtove@nissan.net>
- Subject: Re: Happy'99
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 00:26:39 -0500 (EST)
- cc: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- In-Reply-To: <19991205.223421.-265197.4.ka4slq@juno.com>
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
On Sun, 5 Dec 1999, Ernest Snavely wrote:
>
> The happy''99 trashed my computer and I am now on another one. My son
> identified it during a transfer of files into his computer which had an
> antivirus program in it. I have no idea how I downloaded it but it
> started out making my computer operate 3 times slower.
Carolinabirders:
Happy99 is a "worm" program. It normally appears as an attachment to
an e-mail, and is activated when the attached file is opened. As this is
the case with nearly all e-mail viruses, it is wise to never open an
attachment unless you are expecting one; that's the e-mail equivalent of
accepting packages from strangers in airports, or giving out your credit
card number to people who call you on the phone. Happy99 appears to have
been transmitted along with Mike Tove's message about the extended
Memorial Day pelagics; Mike, Ernest, and anyone else affected will have
to do some work to get it out of their hard drives. Anyone who opened an
attachment which came along with Mike's e-mail, or who has e-mail
software that automatically opens attachments for you, should immediately
check and make sure that they have not also been infected before sending
anyone e-mail. Lucky for me, PINE (the software I'm using) seems to
transform Happy99 into a separate e-mail containing the program code
rather than as an active attached program.
Mike, Ernest, and anyone else infected with Happy99 should visit an
antivirus website for instructions on how to restore their computers,
unless they or their friends already know what to do. Some possibly
helpful sites are:
http://www.stiller.com/happy99.htm
http://www.symantec.com/region/uk/avcenter/venc/happy99_worm.html
http://www.Europe.Datafellows.com/news/1999/19990129.htm
http://www.av.ibm.com/AlertFrame/alertframe.html
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACVirusDatabase.html
Good luck!
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/