Now that i think about it, i have norton 3 or 4 for mac in my pile of software, still unused from work. I would also suggest trying to get a clean install of works 2 and 3. You may just have drives that are corrupting and eating data, espicially if this started showing up when you used floppies.
-----Original Message----- From: Tyrone L. Warbasse <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 1:49 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: Microsoft Works 2.0/3.0 virus - help! Go to System 7 Today and see if there's an AntiVirus for older Macs. You may also want to try Macintosh Garden for older AntiVirus software as well. If you have a newer Mac running at least Tiger 10.4.11, you can download and use, for free, Sophos Anti-Virus, and there're are few other flavors as well. I only use antivirus on my Macs to make sure I'm not passing viruses onto my Micro$oft Apologist friends. Disinfectant may be the AntiVirus you're looking for. See what works for you. Also, if you need to use Works 2 that badly, or 3, try installing emulators like Mac-on-Mac, SheepSaver, Basilisk II, vMac, etc. These can be made to run like an older 68k or PPC Mac. Also, and maybe this is strictly me, but I've had no problems running some really old 68k applications on a 5300c with OS 9.1 and on G3 AIO with Jaguar and my dual G4 with Tiger. Again, it could just me. Hope any of this helps. On Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 8:59 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: This is complicated - I wonder if anyone can help me. It involves both software and hardware. A problem I had with Microsoft Works 2.0, which I thought I had conquered, has reappeared and threatened me with the possible loss of most of my data from many years of work. Because I liked the way databases functioned on Works 2.0 and couldn't find an alternative I liked after years of trying, I continued to use Works 2.0 from 1988 until 2004, and then Works 3.0 from 2004 to the present day. Throughout the evolution of Mac computers over the years, I've been unable to move up to more advanced computers for my main work because Works 2.0 didn't function on them [it was limited to a computer with 24 bit addressing]. The most advanced computer that functions with Works 2.0 is the Quadra series. I did eventually buy a Mac G4 and more recently, a Mac Mini with System 10.3.8, mostly for using the internet. Only a tiny percentage of my work is on the Mac Mini or G4. >From 1988 until around 2004, I used Microsoft Works 2.0, mostly databases, for >most of my professional and personal work, on computers ranging from a Mac SE, >Centris 610, and Quadra 650. Around 2004, my Quadra 650 started behaving in a >bizarre way - only when using Works 2.0 - it was fine with a variety of other >programs [Pagemaker, Word, MacDraw, Finale, etc.]. I've never figured out >what caused, or causes, the problem. Many strange problems occurred, like having files renamed with nonsense combinations of letters and numbers, getting strange error messages, having "last modified date" changed to the wrong year, etc., but the worst was that trying to open, or sometimes save, a Works 2.0 file erased it. I'd get the message "end of file reached." I believe the problem occurred only with databases - word processing documents in Works 2.0 were not affected. I'm a teacher. I had a Quadra 650 at school and another Quadra 650 at home. I backed up and transfered files between home and school using a LaCie Joule external hard drive. At first, the problem only occurred on one of the Quadras, so, assuming I had a virus, I erased the hard drive of the affected Quadra and backed up data from the external drive. Eventually both Quadras were affected, but in trying to save my data, I found that using Works 3.0 made the problem go away. Over many weeks, I gradually opened up and saved the files I worked on to Works 3.0. That was in 2004. Using Works 3.0, everything has been fine until recently. To protect myself against a hard drive or computer part failure, over the years, I purchased about five more Quadras [very inexpensively on eBay or locally] - a couple of 650's, two Quadra 800 towers, and multiple LaCie Joule external hard drives. A few months ago [October 2010?], I was doing something and got a warning, something to the effect of "doing this may make your external hard drive not appear on the desktop." I can't remember what I was doing or why, but I needed to go forward with it, so I pressed "ok." After that, not only did my external hard drive disappear from the desktop, but trying to simply turn on my computer [now the Quadra 800] with the LaCie Joule external drive turned on and connected [via the usual SCSI port], resulted in the computer not being able to boot. At that point, I began using my computer without being able to back up my work because I wasn't able to connect an external hard drive. I tried several different LaCie Joule drives and the computer failed to boot with any of them, so the external drive wasn't the problem. I don't know if it's a software problem or a SCSI connector problem. In any case, I continued using the Quadra 800 and Works 3.0 without backing up and without any problems until last month, specifically January 26, 2011. After having been retired for three years, I started working at a private school this year. I wanted to use my Works 3.0 databases at the new school, so, not being able to connect an external drive to my computer, I started using floppies to move a few files from my home Quadra 800 to another Quadra 800 that I took to school. In the process of moving several files to the floppies, I inadvertently opened an old file in Works 2.0. I didn't think anything of it, but the next day when I tried to use the files on the Quadra 800 at school, the old virus reappeared, for the first time ever in Works 3.0. Opening the file caused the dreaded "end of file reached" to appear on the screen - the file had been erased. I continued using my home Quadra 800, hoping that somehow, the virus wouldn't show up, but last night [Feb. 19, 2011], it did. Opening up my daily planner calendar erased it - "end of file reached." Today I have about 6,000 files, mostly databases, about half of which were converted to Works 3.0, and half that remain in Works 2.0. I have everything up to Oct. 2010 backed up on at least one external hard drive, but my most recent work is not backed up because of the external drive/boot up problem. In the past, the virus did not erase every file opened - it was more of a random thing. Some were able to open without an apparent problem. Some files opened, but a small portion of the data was turned into random letters and numbers. I want to save my files. My fantasy is that someone nearby [I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago] will respond, saying "I can get rid of the virus [or whatever it is] and you can continue to use Works 3.0 on all your old Quadras without any further problems!" Other than that, I think my best bet is to copy and paste the data into a modern database program, or at least a spreadsheet like excel. It might be clunky and difficult to use compared to Works 3.0, but at least the data would be saved and usable. Of course attempting to open the files will probably erase at least some of them. Also, I don't have excel on my Quadra, and if I did, how would I be able to move the converted excel files off my Quadra 800 to a modern computer, like my G4 or Mac mini? Years ago, I purchased and installed on my G4 an Adaptec 2906 SCSI adapter card, but it no longer works. When it worked, I was able to transfer files from my Quadras to the G4 via the LaCie external hard drive. So as I said at the beginning of this long diatribe, I have a software/virus problem on my Quadra 800, and also a hardware SCSI connector problem on the same computer and my G4. I'm stuck - any thoughts?? HELP!! Thank you for any suggestions. Dean -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/ -- Tyrone L. Warbasse, http://www.totallyparanoia.com/ http://www.myspace.com/coffee4binky/ "¿Cuál es tu nombre? Vete a la mierda, ese es mi nombre!" Twitter: coffee4binky AOL/AIM: detectiveragga Yahoo! Chat: thematrixreformatted YouTube: coffee4binky Also, find me on Facebook! -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/ -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/
