[Wai_Wai]

Infection and Operating System

Let's say I have installed 2 operating systems on 2 different partitions.

If the virus infect my computer when I boot in the first operating system, can it infect my second operating system as well? And why?

Does it matter what operating systems I installed (eg Win XP vs 98, Win XP vs XP, Win XP vs Linux)?

Thank you.

This post has been edited by Wai_Wai: 01 November 2006 - 09:41 AM

[tain]

Cross-infection is possible, yes. But pretty unlikely unless one partition is mounted so that the other partition's OS can access it via normal means.

Linux is less likely to have virus issues than any version of Windows. Malicious logic for Linux exists to one extent or another, but isn't the daily deluge we see in a Windows environment.

[Wai_Wai]

TAiN, on Nov 2 2006, 07:28 AM, said:

Cross-infection is possible, yes. But pretty unlikely unless one partition is mounted so that the other partition's OS can access it via normal means.

Linux is less likely to have virus issues than any version of Windows. Malicious logic for Linux exists to one extent or another, but isn't the daily deluge we see in a Windows environment.

Quote

Cross-infection is possible, yes. But pretty unlikely unless one partition is mounted so that the other partition's OS can access it via normal means.

If I boot on the first OS, am I able to see files on second OS?
If possible, could I access/read/modify/delete files on second OS?
How can I hide other OS partitions?

Quote

Linux is less likely to have virus issues than any version of Windows. Malicious logic for Linux exists to one extent or another, but isn't the daily deluge we see in a Windows environment.

Possible since nearly all viruses are targeting at Windows.
What about Windows with different versions?

PS: I don't understand why I can't delete the initial (first) quote (which is redundant). :/

This post has been edited by Wai_Wai: 02 November 2006 - 01:27 AM

[LLXX]

It depends on the virus. Some will only infect files in the current drive (or even just the current directory) but others will scan other drives and infect the files there too.

If you want to hide a partition, save a copy of the partition table on some other media (or better yet, just write down the entries on paper) and zero that entry in the partition table. Now it'll be *very* well hidden, just don't forget about it and try to repartition the "unused space"

[Wai_Wai]

LLXX, on Nov 2 2006, 03:56 PM, said:

If you want to hide a partition, save a copy of the partition table on some other media (or better yet, just write down the entries on paper) and zero that entry in the partition table. Now it'll be *very* well hidden, just don't forget about it and try to repartition the "unused space"

How can I do that?
Is there any step-by-step guide available?

[LLXX]

Read the first sector of the disk with a disk editor, and write down the partition table...

http://www.datarescu...y/partition.htm for more information.