John J. Fried's FAQ Site
 36. Icons, Scatter and Dance

You have been infected by the w32.magistr worm.
There are three versions of this particular worm circulating, but the scattering icons point most directly at the w32.magistr.24876 variation.
The w32 worm generally is a particularly nasty piece of malicious computer code.
Like all worms, the w32.magistr replicates itself and mails its clones to everyone in your address book.
It can also wipe out your hard drive and erase your CMOS file, which is built into the computer's permanent memory and controls the way your computer boots up when you turn it on.
Worse, it has the ability to pluck Word documents off your drive and mail them out.
To get rid of the worm, you will need to use an antivirus program.
Before you do, however, take a look at
www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.magistr.24876@mm.html.
(The address should be typed as one word)
Anyone who has been infected by other w32.magistr worms should start at
http://www.
symantec.com/avcenter/venc/auto/index/indexW.html.
Documents for each of the w32 versions are listed down the page, among the other "W" listings.

Keywords Antivirus, Symantec
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