Ah, "bitrot", I totally forgot about that. Happens to Wintels all the time. Been using Mac for so long, I forgot it happens on our side, too.
On Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 11:58 AM, Christian Wacker <[email protected]>wrote: > 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. > > ------------------------------ > 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/ > -- 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/
