Thread: Weird...

  1. #1
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    Weird...

    Purely in the interest of science, I conducted an interesting experiment today.

    I wrote a very simple XOR encryption program.

    I then proceeded to encrypt windows notepad (c:\windows\notepad.exe) to see what would happen.

    I encrypted another executable i wrote a while ago and it became unusable until it was decrypted, but this is not what happened to notepad, oh no...

    After it was encrypted, it's icon changed to the infamous 'misc program' icon (the plain white window). Then, about 3 seconds later, it changed back to the notepad icon, as if windows had somehow detected and reversed my encryption...

    I'm thinking of doing it to my kernel32.dll file, but I haven't got the guts. I reckon windows will stop me anyway, but you never know.

    Any comments on the anomaly?
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

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  2. #2
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    You have spyware. It's called "windows"... it is self-healing and self-replicating.

  3. #3
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    So how would it detect something like that? Does it constantly monitor all of it's system files?

    Ahh however it does it I guess it's pretty cool.
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

    - Mike McShaffry

  4. #4
    &TH of undefined behavior Fordy's Avatar
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    I seem to remember that windows scans certain files and restores them if they have been tampered with

    Windows File Protection?

  5. #5
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    Well it certainly seems like a novel idea; seems to work too.

    Microsoft products working? Doesn't that break like all the laws of everything?


    (Joke)

    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

    - Mike McShaffry

  6. #6
    Wanna see something really funny? Go into your windows directory and delete solitare (sol.exe). Seriously, go ahead (XP users only... unless you really hate solitare or something...).

    I fail to see how solitare is a critical file.
    "There's always another way"
    -lightatdawn (lightatdawn.cprogramming.com)

  7. #7
    Software Developer jverkoey's Avatar
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    Surely, without solitaire, the system would become completely unstable and more than likely not boot anymore

  8. #8
    Toaster Zach L.'s Avatar
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    Don't want your computer getting bored while you're away, now do you?
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  9. #9
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    Solitare is a very important file!!
    2/3rd of all people who own a computer
    would not need a computer if it wasnt for solitare!!

  10. #10
    Slave MadCow257's Avatar
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    However, this applies to anything in system32, not just solitare.

  11. #11
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    Riiiight. I suck at solitaire anyhows, and my poor computer? She prefers a good game of Half Life while I'm away
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

    - Mike McShaffry

  12. #12
    Registered User major_small's Avatar
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    I have to disagree... delete half-life and what happens? HL just dissapears... windows has no love for it :*(
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  13. #13
    Supermassive black hole cboard_member's Avatar
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    Noooooooooo. HL Rocks. Soon I'll have a system good enough to rape *ahem* i mean play HL2..

    Excellent *evil mr. burns thinking face*
    Good class architecture is not like a Swiss Army Knife; it should be more like a well balanced throwing knife.

    - Mike McShaffry

  14. #14
    Banned nickname_changed's Avatar
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    Notepad and lots of the other standard Windows executables and DLL's have a copy in the System32\DllCache (I believe) folder. When you stuff around with these files, Windows detects it and restores the version from the DLLCache folder. Try and replace notepad.exe with another executable - it'll be restored. Delete it - it'll be restored.

    To get around it I believe you have to replace the version in DLLCache first, then replace the file you want.

  15. #15
    Banned nickname_changed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ahluka
    Microsoft products working? Doesn't that break like all the laws of everything?
    "The day Microsoft make a product that doesn't suck is the day they bring out a vaccuum cleaner". But see my previous posts on why Microsoft doesn't "sux0rz".

    To those joking about how solitare isn't a critical system file - seriously, imagine the huge number of support calls made because Aunt Edna can't play solitaire after her 10 year old nephew decided to "clean up" her computer.

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