Re: comp.sys.apple2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) part 2/3

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Reposting article removed by rogue canceller.

Mitchell Spector <spec@vax2.concordia.ca> wrote:

> In article lesherjt@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Tilghman Lesher) writes...
> >
> >1)  Blackout.  Turned the screen colors to Black, black, black.  Turned
> >sound to zero, boot disk to ROMdisk (I think!).  Installed in block
> >zero of boot disk.  System 6 made it impossible for it to install itself.
> 
>     Actually the "Blackout" virus installs itself in the battery backed
> RAM used for the clock/Control-Panel settings. In otherwords, switching
> the main power off will not rid you of it, making it seem like your IIgs
> has experienced a hardware failure. I caught it once or twice, a certain
> demo released in 1992 seemed to have a copy of the virus on it. The virus
> is harmless, but certainly a major annoyance.

Sorry, that is not right.  It is not possible for a virus to "install
itself" into the battery-backed RAM, because that RAM does not contain
code, and is never executed.

All that Blackout does is to modify the battery RAM settings described
by Tilghman above (and it probably changes the active settings at the
same time).  These are then preserved by the IIgs over subsequent boots.

>     To purge it, start-up your IIgs while hold down the option key. 
> Then press "2" (60 Hertz) which will clear all settings in battery
> backed RAM (including the virus). Unfortunately this will also reset 
> all the Control Panel settings back to their defaults, though you've
> little choice. You'll have to do this blindly of course, since the
> display will be black.

A less intrusive method would be as follows:

1. Start the IIgs while holding down the Option key.
2. Wait a little time, so that the menu is probably being displayed.
3. Press 1 (to enter the Control Panel).
4. Press Down-Arrow (to select "Display").
5. Press RETURN (to enter "Display").
6. Press Up-Arrow (to select "Standards").
7. Press Right-Arrow (to set "Standards" to "Yes").

This will restore standard display settings (white on blue with blue
border)  You can then adjust the settings on this screen back to your
normal choices.  Make sure you press RETURN when you are done, so that
the settings are saved.

You then need to go through all the screens in the Control Panel and
check that the settings are correct, or restore them to normal.

Ideally, you should use a program which saves the contents of the
parameter RAM _before_ you get hit by the virus.  You can then start
with the above sequence, do some minimal changes to allow the machine to
boot (without hitting the virus again!), and run the program which
restores the parameter RAM to its old state.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand