{"id":2684,"date":"2019-05-03T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2684"},"modified":"2019-05-01T14:24:21","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T18:24:21","slug":"how-do-i-write-a-harmless-computer-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/03\/how-do-i-write-a-harmless-computer-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"“How do I write a harmless computer virus…”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The full question, submitted anonymously, was: “How do I write a harmless computer virus that, when run, restarts the computer and keeps opening a terminal instead of windows until the user say yes or some specific command then everything goes normal again?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not a virus<\/a> — it’s just a script or small program — and it\u2019s not harmless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s vaguely reminiscent of computer pranks from 20+ years ago, when a small script or simple program would keep opening windows until the PC crashed or bogged down to the point of unusability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great fun? I never thought so, because it could cause the victim to lose work — making this a kind of terrible, not-at-all-funny prank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, reading between the lines, I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re trying to restrict logins to a PC that you don\u2019t have administrative rights to. (If you were an admin, you could easily control access by totally above-board and legit means.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to sum up your question: You\u2019re seeking a prank-level, potentially harmful means to control access to a PC where you\u2019re not the Admin, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a very, very bad idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need to restrict access to the PC, use the administrative tools built-in to your OS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not authorized to act as Admin, then what the heck are you trying to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you should re-think this idea entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink: https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2684<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"[seperator]\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The full question, submitted anonymously, was: “How do I write a harmless computer virus that, when run, restarts the computer and keeps opening a terminal instead of windows until the user say yes or some specific command then everything goes normal again?” That\u2019s not a virus — it’s just a script or small program —…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-Hi","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3757,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/20\/how-do-you-detect-if-your-computer-has-a-boot-sector-virus\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":0},"title":"“How do you detect if your computer has a boot sector virus?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-11-20","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Luis Fuentes) The most-certain way is to boot your PC with an external, self-contained (a.k.a. \"portable\") anti-malware tool, such as one contained on a flash drive or DVD. (Examples.) These self-contained apps don't rely on the installed operating system, and can instead examine your entire hard drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5139,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/04\/if-someone-ran-all-his-anti-virus-software-but-cant-get-a-weird-bug-removed-what-should-he-do-next\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":1},"title":"“If someone ran all his anti-virus software but can’t get a weird bug removed, what should he do next?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-06-04","format":false,"excerpt":"(Question submitted anonymously.) Full question: \"If someone ran all his anti-virus software but can't get a weird bug removed off his PC that opens a bunch of tabs and takes pictures, what should he do next?\" \u201cSomeone?\u201d You asking \u201cfor a friend?\u201d ;) You mention \"opening tabs\" so I'm guessing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/bug-e1590782263932.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3755,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/26\/can-a-virus-disguise-a-32-bit-operating-system-for-a-64-bit-operating-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":2},"title":"“Can a virus disguise a 32-bit operating system for a 64-bit operating system?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-11-26","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Kacey Mae) Can it? I suppose. But it would be extremely difficult to pull off at all; and nearly impossible to pull off in a way that would fool anyone who was paying attention. The usual way to run a full 32-bit OS inside a full, operating\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/32-on-64-bit-vpc.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/32-on-64-bit-vpc.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/32-on-64-bit-vpc.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/32-on-64-bit-vpc.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/32-on-64-bit-vpc.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5184,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/15\/sudden-uncommanded-shutdowns-plague-win10-laptop\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":3},"title":"Sudden, uncommanded shutdowns plague Win10 laptop","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-06-15","format":false,"excerpt":"AskWoody subscriber John Mackin's laptop was badly malfunctioning, and the problem remained unresolved even after some top-notch troubleshooting and maintenance. \"Fred, I have a three-and-a-half-year-old laptop (Dell Inspiron 13\", i7, 12 GB RAM, 1TB M.2 SSD, Windows 10) that has recently begun to periodically shut down during use.\"Suspecting CPU overheat,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AskWoody Plus"","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fred Langa","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Langa-2-100.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4950,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/08\/why-does-rotating-or-removing-and-then-returning-the-same-batteries-sometimes-make-them-work-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":4},"title":"“Why does rotating, or removing and then returning the same batteries sometimes make them work again?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-05-08","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Sam Jones) The electrical contacts on batteries (and the cells that make up batteries) are metal; metal can oxidize or otherwise develop a thin layer of surface contamination that reduces the electrical conductivity. This layer may be invisible to the naked eye. Physically manipulating the battery scrapes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/18650-batteries.jpg?fit=241%2C256&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1637,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/11\/a-reader-asks-do-you-remember-type-in-programs-from-computer-magazines-in-the-70s-and-80s\/","url_meta":{"origin":2684,"position":5},"title":"A reader asks: “Do you remember type-in programs from computer magazines in the 70s and 80s?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-11","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember them? I wrote some! :) In fact, I believe I wrote the first type-and-run program to appear in a non-computer, general-circulation magazine, at least in the US. Back at the dawn of the PC era, I was a newly-hatched junior editor at New Shelter magazine; a general-circulation publication with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2684"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2718,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2684\/revisions\/2718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}