45 Does a write-protect tab on a floppy disk stop viruses?
Description
This article is from the Computer Viruses FAQ, by Nick FitzGerald n.fitzgerald@csc.canterbury.ac.nz with numerous contributions by others.
45 Does a write-protect tab on a floppy disk stop viruses?
In general, yes. The write-protection on IBM PC (and compatible) and
Macintosh floppy disk drives is implemented in hardware, not software,
so viruses cannot infect a diskette when the write-protection mechanism
is functioning properly (though many "friend of a friend" stories abound
contesting this).
But remember:
1. A computer may have a faulty write-protect system (this
happens!)--you can test it by trying to copy a file to a
diskette that is apparently write-protected.
2. Someone may have removed the tab for a while, allowing a
virus on.
3. The files may have been infected before the disk was
protected. Even some diskettes "straight from the factory"
have been known to be infected during the production process.
Thus, you should scan even new, write-protected disks for viruses. You
should also scan new, pre-formatted diskettes, as there have been cases
of infected, shrink-wrapped new diskettes.
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