Hoax: jdbgmgr.exe
 

This is a pretty common hoax. Please note that jdbgmgr.exe is a valid Windows file; if you look for it on your system you will find it. It is supposed to be there.

Remember that any email you get telling you to forward to everyone you know is, in all instances, a hoax. Sample email follows.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, a virus has been passed on to me by a contact. My address
book WAS infected. As you are in my address book, it is likely that you
will find it in your computer as well. My apologies. It is also likely
that you will get it from more that one source so checking daily until we
get the "all clear" would probably be wise.

The virus (called jdbgmgr.exe) is not detected by Norton or McAfee antivirus
systems. The virus sits
quietly for 14 days before damaging the system. It is sent automatically by
messenger and by the address
book, whether or not you sent e-mail to your contacts. I have no information
on what the virus does.


Here's how to check for the virus and how to get rid of it:

PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Go to start, Find or search option.

2. In the file folder option, type the name
jdbgmgr.exe

3. Be sure you search your C: drive and all
subfolders and any other drives you may have.

4. Click "find now"

5. The Virus has a Teddy Bear icon with the
name "jdbgmgr.exe" DO NOT OPEN IT!!

6. Go to Edit (on the menu bar) and choose
"select all" to highlight the file without opening it.

7. Now go to File (on the menu bar) and select
delete. It will then go to the Recycle Bin and empty it.

8. IF YOU FIND THE VIRUS YOU MUST CONTACT ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR ADDRESS
BOOK, SO THEY CAN
ERADICATE IT IN THEIR OWN ADDRESS BOOKS.

To Do This:

a) Open a new e-mail message

b) Click the "address book" icon

c) Highlight every name and add to "Bcc" (which means blind copy)

d)Copy this message and paste to e-mail

Ugh, this is just as bad as actually getting a virus. The only difference being that the user is the one doing the damage rather than a malicious program.

Beautiful social engineering. Bravo! :D

I love it...idiot users need to die!!

warning copy/pasted off to comp-illiterate family members.

Hehe... that's an awfull thing to do cheerios!! Hmm... gotta try it on my stepdad though.. Hell go :crazy:

Cheers meant send the warning, not fool people with it. Sheesh.

hence the "WARNING" sent, not "Hoax" sent. Reg, if you get your step-da to screw his comp up, I'm betting I know who's gonna have to fix it...

You know what's really sad? The first time I saw this email was when a fellow collegue forwarded it to the entire company thinking he had recieved the 'virus' from his brother. Numerous flames and hilarity ensued.

I've seen that way too many times...makes people freak out like you wouldn't imagine.

What does this file do anyway?

jdbgmgr is the Microsoft Debugger Registrar for Java, used by J++1.1 developers.

whast is the point of this, simply to make a virus that can do that or does it like send spam to everyones email? if it is simple malicious then whatever but if it sends spam or somethinglike records all the emails then someone is responsible for it somewhere.

At some point will people just stop believing the hoaxes, or will this always work?

Yeah i know this one. I had it a few months back and deleted the file. Luckily there's an easy way to restore it by finding it on the web and downloading.

The point of this is to be an asshole, basically. The guy who originally created this must have decided it would be funny to social engineer people to delete files from their computer, so he wrote it and sent it out to people.

There is no actual virus involved here. All of the work sending out the e-mails is done by completely willing (and duped) panicky users.

Attention: Before you send out that latest e-mail to your whole address book warning them about the latest virus, be sure to check VMyths for the whole story first. Be an educated user, not a tool.

I first saw the jdbgmgr.exe hoax three years ago, and have most recently had a panicky classmate send it to me as recently as five months ago. Chances are, as long as the file exists, the hoax will continue.

Unless there is a massive push for computer users to step up and educate themselves, chances are slim to none that any sort of computer hoax will fail to take effect.

For a hoax, this is a rather harmless one. The average person doesn't need it, never uses it, and most likely, never knew it was there. Though people should do a little research before sending off a few hundred forwards of a hoax.

No creativity at all...
Wasn't that the line where he's measnt to describe in lurid pulp fiction detail how the virus will make you infirtile, steal your car, max out your credit cards and melt your hard drive into a molten puddle?

cute bear btw...

Another great site to check hoaxes out is Snopes

I work in computer support with 3 other guys. We support a total of around 400 end users. I get a call on this about once a month. Unfortunately people usually call me after they have already deleted the file. ID10T error. The guy that runs the Joke-A-Day web site did something similar to his mail list. The results were hilarious. Check it out at: http://www.jokeaday.com/7aolexe.shtml

Heh. I was just going to say that when I worked tech support, I regularly got emails saying "I deleted this file, just thought you should know that it's on the systems" - often repeatedly from the same person. Some people just don't listen/think.

Is there a correct pronunciation to "ID10T error", or do you just have to garble it enough so it doesn't sound like "idiot"?

"eye-dee-one-oh-tee"
"echo delta, one zero tango."