RAM module virus???

  • Thread starter Thread starter toa
  • Start date Start date
T

toa

I recently bought a new PC with Win XP Pro preinstalled. First time I turned
it on, it complained that "Windows did not start correctly" or something to
that effect, after which it hung. At reset, it seemed to enter an infinite
reboot sequence. I formatted the disk, and installed a new XP Home licence
instead, since that was what I was going to do anyway (I had good reason to
believe the Pro installation that came with the machine was pirated). Same
result. I sent the computer back to the guy who sold it to me, and after
some investigation, he told me that there was a virus on the RAM module or
RAM chip (not sure of the correct English term). To me, that sounded like
nonsense. The RAM module is just a series of data storage ICs on a small
printed circuit, whose entire contents goes away when you switch off the
machine, right? How can a virus reside there and survive a cold start of the
PC? Am I right, or is there something I'm overlooking?
 
toa said:
I recently bought a new PC with Win XP Pro preinstalled. First time I turned
it on, it complained that "Windows did not start correctly" or something to
that effect, after which it hung. At reset, it seemed to enter an infinite
reboot sequence. I formatted the disk, and installed a new XP Home licence
instead, since that was what I was going to do anyway (I had good reason to
believe the Pro installation that came with the machine was pirated). Same
result. I sent the computer back to the guy who sold it to me, and after
some investigation, he told me that there was a virus on the RAM module or
RAM chip (not sure of the correct English term). To me, that sounded like
nonsense. The RAM module is just a series of data storage ICs on a small
printed circuit, whose entire contents goes away when you switch off the
machine, right? How can a virus reside there and survive a cold start of the
PC? Am I right, or is there something I'm overlooking?
Click to expand...

You are correct, and this guy is jerking you around. Once the power is
off, then the ram is cleared. Serves you right for buying from software
pirates, though.

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
John said:
Apparently you are assuming things.
Click to expand...

Feel free to point those things out.


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
spodosaurus said:
Feel free to point those things out.


--
Click to expand...

I see nothing wrong with buying a machine with pirated software, as long as
I immediately delete that software and replace it with original, paid-for
software.
 
toa said:
I see nothing wrong with buying a machine with pirated software, as long as
I immediately delete that software and replace it with original, paid-for
software.
Click to expand...

If you're talking second hand, then yes, but if you're talking about
buying it from a retail outlet, then that's a different matter entirely.
If they're willing to steal software, do you REALLY think they're going
to be looking after your best interests in the components they put in
your system? Do you think they're going to be careful in the handling
and assembly of it? Do you think they're going to be conducting business
practices in a way that does not propogate virus infection to their
clients PCs? etc etc


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
I recently bought a new PC with Win XP Pro preinstalled. First time I turned
it on, it complained that "Windows did not start correctly" or something to
that effect, after which it hung. At reset, it seemed to enter an infinite
reboot sequence. I formatted the disk, and installed a new XP Home licence
instead, since that was what I was going to do anyway (I had good reason to
believe the Pro installation that came with the machine was pirated). Same
result. I sent the computer back to the guy who sold it to me, and after
some investigation, he told me that there was a virus on the RAM module or
RAM chip (not sure of the correct English term). To me, that sounded like
nonsense. The RAM module is just a series of data storage ICs on a small
printed circuit, whose entire contents goes away when you switch off the
machine, right? How can a virus reside there and survive a cold start of the
PC? Am I right, or is there something I'm overlooking?
Click to expand...

Maybe he meant the EPROM chip where the bios is stored? You can get a
virus there.
 
spodosaurus said:
If you're talking second hand, then yes, but if you're talking about
buying it from a retail outlet, then that's a different matter entirely.
If they're willing to steal software, do you REALLY think they're going
to be looking after your best interests in the components they put in
your system? Do you think they're going to be careful in the handling
and assembly of it? Do you think they're going to be conducting business
practices in a way that does not propogate virus infection to their
clients PCs? etc etc
Click to expand...

Ah, so you think I'm just plain stupid then, not morally corrupt. Good. I
can live with that. :)
 
Trinity said:
Maybe he meant the EPROM chip where the bios is stored? You can get a
virus there.
Click to expand...

Maybe. I've been thinking the same thing myself. But that's not what he
said. There are viruses around that flash the BIOS, aren't there?
 
toa said:
Ah, so you think I'm just plain stupid then, not morally corrupt. Good. I
can live with that. :)
Click to expand...

We all get tempted sometimes to chase bargains...that's how we learn
'you get what you pay for' and it's a lesson we all get taught sooner or
later :-)



--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
spodosaurus said:
Feel free to point those things out.
Click to expand...

He was buying a computer, not software. How would he know or even
suspect that windows was pirated until he got the system? He said the
windows "that came with the system" was suspect. To me it sounds like
he didn't suspect that until he got the system. He might have been
planning to install his home version before he even received the
system. Maybe he liked the hardware but did not like the idea of
using Windows XP Pro.
 
John said:
He was buying a computer, not software. How would he know or even
suspect that windows was pirated until he got the system?
Click to expand...

1. If he wasn't buying software and there was software on the computer
that is by definition piracy.
2. He stated straight out he suspected it was pirate.




--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
To be precise, it probably wasn't piracy until the moment I received the PC.
This guy assembles PCs himself, and I believe he has some maintenance
licence of XP that entitles him to use it to check out each new machine
before he ships it off. However, the moment he ships it off to me without
either 1) wiping the disk or 2) charge me for an OEM licence that he has
himself bought somewhere, it becomes piracy. Ok, so I commited piracy for
the 3 hours it took me to get the machine home, wipe the disk and install my
own, legal copy of Win XP home. I really cannot see anything wrong in that.
 
spodosaurus said:
1. If he wasn't buying software and there was software on the
computer that is by definition piracy.
Click to expand...

You won't find many computers, even second-hand and homebuilt, that
don't come with preinstalled windows, at least not in the United
States.
2. He stated straight out he suspected it was pirate.
Click to expand...

After it "came with the machine".

He might be dealing with a shady seller, but by his post he didn't
necessarily know that to begin with.
 
toa said:
I recently bought a new PC with Win XP Pro preinstalled. First time I turned
it on, it complained that "Windows did not start correctly" or something to
that effect, after which it hung. At reset, it seemed to enter an infinite
reboot sequence. I formatted the disk, and installed a new XP Home licence
instead, since that was what I was going to do anyway (I had good reason to
believe the Pro installation that came with the machine was pirated). Same
result. I sent the computer back to the guy who sold it to me, and after
some investigation, he told me that there was a virus on the RAM module or
RAM chip (not sure of the correct English term). To me, that sounded like
nonsense.
Click to expand...

It is nonsense, but your memory may be defective. Try running
a memory diagnostic. You can download one from
http://www.memtest.org.

--Bob Day
http://bobday.vze.com
 
toa said:
To be precise, it probably wasn't piracy until the moment I received the PC.
This guy assembles PCs himself, and I believe he has some maintenance
licence of XP that entitles him to use it to check out each new machine
before he ships it off. However, the moment he ships it off to me without
either 1) wiping the disk or 2) charge me for an OEM licence that he has
himself bought somewhere, it becomes piracy. Ok, so I commited piracy for
the 3 hours it took me to get the machine home, wipe the disk and install my
own, legal copy of Win XP home. I really cannot see anything wrong in that.
Click to expand...

It's no big deal, but it does sort of reflect the quality of the
business you're dealing with. Personally, I'd suspect the quality of the
components themselves, the condition of said components (customer
returns reused in another machine), or the handling and assembly of the
components before I'd suspect a virus (but I have fairly limited info as
to what's going on with your system). If there is a virus hiding in the
eprom chip, given the practices of the place you bought the computer,
I'd suspect it got on their from thier network as they were putting the
copy of winxp on your new system. I've seen that happen before, where
dodgy shops try to blame the customer (and charge the customer) for
reinstalling windows on their new PC after a virus buggered up the works
when it was the shop that had the virus in their copy of windows and was
putting it on clients' PCs.

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/
 
Maybe. I've been thinking the same thing myself. But that's not what he
said. There are viruses around that flash the BIOS, aren't there?
Click to expand...
Yes. But all modern mb's allow you to block access to the bios once
you've made your settings.
 
Stalker troll.

JAD said:
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Don't feed the spammer - doe - troll
Click to expand...
See also:
JAD (jde)
JAD (Kapasitor @coldmail.com)
JAD (jdemma25 @eartink.net)
 
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