[4934] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: Windows
danw@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (danw@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Thu Sep 26 12:51:55 1996
Normally I'd say this was a Bogus_Thought, but it seems to fit in with
this thread...
[forwards deleted]
> NT users beware! Retail copies of both the Workstation and Server versions
> of Windows NT 4.0 shipped with an undocumented system-wiping utility. The
> file Rollback.exe erases key components of the system registry, disabling
> the operating system.
>
> Microsoft Corp. officials say that once the file has been executed, the
> changes cannot be undone and require a complete reinstallation of the
> operating system. At least one incident of accidental erasure has occurred
> and Microsoft is mulling over how to inform customers of the problem.
>
> This undocumented feature could do the most damage to NT4.0 Server users
> because it erases critical-security and user-account information. Without
> an up-to-date backup, network administrators will have to recreate all of
> the users' account and password profiles. Microsoft this week sent out an
> E-mail warning to its channel partners. It stated that after running the
> utility "the next thing the customer knows, they are staring at the set-up
> screen and are completely down."
>
> Rollback.exe was designed to allow OEMs to test NT with their hardware and
> software configurations, and then return systems to their pre-installation
> state. The file is located in the support\deptools\I386\ directory of the
> NT CD-ROM and is not installed on the system by default. But the lack of
> any online documentation or escape route once the program has begun has put
> curious users at risk.
>
> Microsoft officials say that more than 150,000 copies of NT Server 4.0 have
> been sold since its release in late July. Microsoft has posted an entry in
> its online Knowledgebase, but has not determined how it will notify
> customers and OEMs.
