ATCHSSR2.RVW   930430
 
                               Comparison Review
 
Company and product:
 
A. & Z. Vidovic
Tour Panoramique
Duchere
69009 Lyon
France
Chasseur II
 
Summary: Boot sector overwriter
                              
 
Cost  50 Fr (U$15)
 
Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
      "Friendliness"
            Installation      
            Ease of use       
            Help systems      
      Compatibility           
      Company
            Stability         
            Support           
      Documentation           
      Hardware required       
      Performance             
      Availability            
      Local Support           
 
General Description:
 
 
 
                  Comparison of features and specifications
 
 
 
User Friendliness
 
Installation
 
The files (at least BOOTBASE.DAT) *must* be installed in a directory called
\CHASSEUR.II or else the program will not function.
 
Ease of use
 
There are only three options on the main menu: check disk, vaccinate and check
memory.  These are represented by icons, with no words.
 
Help systems
 
None provided.
 
Compatibility
 
Unknown.  The vaccinate function, although stated to be irreversible (which,
oddly, appears to contradict the documentation), seems not to harm MS-DOS
disks, since it adds a jump at the beginning, and adds a short message at the
end.  (MS-DOS "system" disks, of course, will no longer be bootable.)
 
Company Stability
 
Unknown.
 
Company Support
 
None provided.
 
Documentation
 
A README.VIR file states that they believe the program is simple enough that
there is no need for documentation.  This is generally true, but it is a pity
that there is not more detail on some of the claims made for the program.
 
System Requirements
 
None stated.
 
Performance
 
Unknown.  This seems to be a tool for very technically literate users, aimed at
boot sector infectors only.
 
Local Support
 
None provided.
 
Support Requirements
 
It is unlikely that even intermediate users would understand, say, the memory
listings generated.  However, it should be effective against boot sector
infectors even in novice cases.  (One should note that *all* of the Atari boot
sector overwriting programs may damage certain self-booting disks.)
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   ATCHSSR2.RVW   930430

======================
DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Sept. '94) Springer-Verlag