66 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
66 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
Virus on Computer Disks Spurs Elek-Tek to Order Recall
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Wilma Randle, Chicago Tribune 1/18/92
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Discovery of a computer "virus" on a number of pre-formatted floppy diskettes
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sold by a north suburban computer retailer has resulted in a product recall,
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as well as offers by the company, Elek-Tek Inc., to repair any computers
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infected as a result.
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If the problem, identified by the company as the "Ping Pong" or "Hong Kong"
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virus, is not noticed by a computer owner, or goes untreated, it could
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destroy information stored in a computer's main hard drive.
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An Elek-Tel service representative said the diskettes, which were sold under
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the Elek-Tek brand name, included 3.5 - inch and 5.25 - inch disks. But
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cheif executive Morton Goldman said late Friday afternoon the diskettes in
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question were only the 3.5-inch. Goldman downplayed any suggestion that the
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virus problem was serious.
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"We find it to be an extremely small issue at this time," he said. Goldman
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wouldn't say how many "infected" diskettes have been sold, or how many
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customers might be affected.
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Complaints from two customers alerted the company to the problem, Goldman
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said. When the company first checked, it didn't find anything wrong. Then
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it found that, indeed, some of the diskettes were defective.
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"We stopped selling them immediately. And we got a computer printout and
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contacted each of those customers. It appears that a small percentage of
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diskettes have been infected," Goldman said.
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Those customers who have been advised to return the diskettes to Elek-Tek are
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also being told to bring their computers in for "treatment."
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"If they bring in their computers, we will use an anti-virus program to clean
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out the hard drive and the software at no charge to them," Goldman said.
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The infected diskettes appear to be those sold since the beginning of
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December. All of the infected diskettes will be returned to the manufacturer,
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Goldman said.
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Bob Holden, a self-employed writer who works out of his home in Chicago's
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Hyde Park neighborhood, is one of the computer owners who was affected
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by the problem.
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In December, Holden ordered 54 pre-formatted diskettes by mail order from
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Elek-Tek. Immediately after inserting one, he started having problems.
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He was unable to copy files to the new diskettes, and he began having
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trouble getting accurate directory listings from any of his disks.
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Holden said he spent $65 to replace a part on the computer that he suspected
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as being the source of the problem. He also had technicians check the disk
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drives, motherboard, and even his version of the computer's operating
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system before realizing it was the disks.
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"I'm furious about this. They won't do it [repair the computer] while I wait.
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It will take two or three days. That kind of time loss is devastating if
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you depend on your computer as much as I do."
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And, he said, that the virus should come from the diskettes is uncommon.
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"This is not the way viruses are normally transmitted. When you open a
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sealed package of diskettes, you don't expect this kind of thing. I think
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Elek-Tek has a lot of explaining to do."
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