While he was a serious programmer at Aiken,friends and colleagues say Morris' computingfrequently had a lighter side. Morris created aprogram that would write crossword puzzles,friends remembered.

Sudduth yesterday recalled coming into Aikenand finding the lab cluttered with puzzles thecomputer had generated. "He sat down and did it ona whim," Sudduth said.

During long hours at Aiken, Morris also createda program that generates high-quality picturesthat appear on an idle computer screen. Theprogram, which is still in use, periodicallygenerates pictures of Morris and of a professor'scat.

Friends declined to give an account of otherpranks of Morris, although they said none wasmalicious.

But a friend, who asked that his name not beused, said that Morris had made unauthorizedentries into computer systems. Cornell officialsdiscovered in his files unauthorized passwords tothe Stanford and another school's computer system.

Although Morris had a few outside interestsincluding skiing, most of his time was spent atthe computer. As a result, Morris developed fewfriendships beyond his rooming group and Aikenlab, friends said.

Morris' interest in computers also had anadverse impact on his academic work. He was put onacademic probation after his freshman year andtook a year off. "His courses were too regimentedfor him," said Kuperberg. "He tended to lose trackof his coursework."

Friends were uncertain what impact the virusincident would have on Morris' career. Some saidthat because of an outstanding resume, Morriswould have had little trouble finding a goodcomputing job. The exposure he gained by creatingthe virus would only add luster to his reputation,they said.

"Even before this, RTM could have gotten a jobanywhere he wanted. The references are fantastic,"said Graham. Sudduth said the virus might have anadverse effect on his career, adding "he'sdefinitely hurt himself."

But others said that Morris could benefit froma kind of "War Games" mentality that might throwpublic sympathy in his favor. "It's made him anational hero," said Nitzberg. "It's going to gethim the salary of his choice."

Madhavi Sunder contributed to the reportingof this article.