The JDBGMGR.EXE "Virus" Email Warning Is A Hoax

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

Thanks to FJ Cava for first bringing this to our attention on 15 April, 2002.

... and thanks to my colleague Adam Wilkinson for on 23 May, 2002 pointing me to Microsoft's KnowledgeBase article "Virus Hoax: Microsoft Debugger Registrar for Java (Jdbgmgr.exe) Is Not a Virus (Q322993)" (leaving our site). This article discusses the hoax, and also describes how, should you feel so inclined, to restore the file if you fell for the hoax and deleted it.

This virus hoax is based on an older one -- the SULFNBK hoax. Like that one, an odd filename and unusual icon are what drive the hoax....

Before we begin, let me tell you that the file JDBGMGR.EXE is part of standard Windows distributions. It is the "Java Debug Manager" -- it is used by Java programmers to debug their Java applications. Whether or not you have this file on your computer is immaterial ... unless, of course, you are a Java developer in which case you'd know better than to delete it.

This hoax has several forms. The first one we saw looked like this:

Hi all.
I just got a virus from Guatemala, but they sent me
directions how to remove it. Please remove it now...it

Remove it if you like -- it makes no difference. But don't remove it merely because it is there. After all, you could remove a whole lot of files that are part of Windows "just because they are there", and the results could be disastrous. Try, for example, removing the file that makes Windows run....

takes 10 days to activate, then it will erase your
hard drive (supposedly)

"Supoposedly" being the key word: this file is harmless -- unless, of course, it gets infected by a virus. But then, ANY file can get infected by a virus, and to determine one way or the other, the only proper method is to use an antivirus scanner .

Using any other technique is foolhardy at best ... and usually just plain foolish.

It really was in my C drive,
scary. It got past my virus guard.

No it didn't; it was there before you installed Windows. And if your virus guard is any good at all (and updated at least once a week), then this file didn't get infected.

so, here's how to get rid of it.:
go to Start on your opening screen
go to 'find'
go to 'files of folders'
for file name, put jdbgmgr.exe
and it will come up if it's in there, it's a little
teddy bear logo thingy. 

That would work to find it -- or to find any other file that is supposed to be on your computer.

DON'T OPEN IT, 

Makes no difference, unless it got infected at some point. And if it DID, then your antivirus product should prevent you from opening it anyway. [If it lets you open it, then the file surely is not infected. This, of course, assumes you keep your antivirus software updated at least once a week.]

just right click on the bear with your mouse and
delete it. then use PROGRAMS, WINDOWS EXPLORER,
RECYCLE BIN, DELETE to get rid of it completely.
good luck and sorry about the inconvenience.

Well, you could do that; it would make no difference to the performance of your computer. But DO NOT go telling everyone about this; it is a false alarm.

Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.

Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax. For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/jdbgmgr.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like The Urban Legends Reference Pages (leaving our site).

   -BPB