Curse

Elrond Afil · Feb 09, 2006, 10:54 AM // 10:54

well, i have 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 viruses and i need to... ..kill me computer, how would i completely wipe my pc? im not to sure how,

thanks in advance

SaucE · Feb 09, 2006, 12:24 PM // 12:24

If you have the XP install CD, pop it in the CDROM and reboot. When it asks to boot from CD, hit enter. Once the insall begins, select the option to delect the current partition, then create a new one with all available disk space. From then on, just answer all the questions it asks.

Old Dood · Feb 09, 2006, 12:58 PM // 12:58

Yes...if you have a system with the install disk or sometimes called the Restore disk....put that in and it should reformat your whole system. It should look like the day you bought it.

After that install your Anti Virus software right away. Then update that...then run it. THEN start with your WinXP updates.

Rayea · Feb 09, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

and since your probably on broadband, the most importatint thing to do is to install the ansivirus FIRST, with the bb modem turned off, then install the modem and connect to net afterwards...
i cant tell you how many peeps on bb think that they cant get a virus so long as they dont have the internet window open....

EternalTempest · Feb 09, 2006, 07:24 PM // 19:24

Killdisk

www.killdisk.com

The free version does a 1 pass zero level format.

Will format your hard drive (everything will be gone) and you will have to re-installed everything from scratch.

I would download all your drivers and burn them to cd so once you get windows re-installed you can install the most current drivers and not have to download them again.

If your not able to reinstall a clean copy of windows from scratch don't try this. If you have "recovery" cd's from your computer, I will run them.

Nazo · Feb 09, 2006, 08:01 PM // 20:01

No need for a risky thing like that. Simply delete the partition during the windows installation and create a new one. A level zero format is when you need to get down in there and redo low level things such as what sectors are marked as damaged (all format utilities seem to just preserve previous damage settings, disk scans skip over them, and so on, so if you have reason to believe a bad spot on your disk isn't really bad so much as a bit of randomness you can't just reformat or disk scan over and over.)

Install discs and restore discs are different things. A restore disc is a disc that restores a pre-setup image complete with OS, basic drivers, etc. This will only come on a prebuilt system, and not all of those by far. An installation disc is where you manually install the operating system.

I'd like to point out that installing Windows yourself isn't easy if you don't know what you're doing (and I tend to say that "if you have to ask" then chances are you aren't familiar enough with the sort of things you need to know to just jump right into it blindly.) Be careful and don't erase everything until you are 100% ready. Read a few guides, maybe find an image or two of what it will look at. Most importantly, find out about your hardware and find drivers as needed (though you'll obviously have to be darned careful to ensure they aren't infected.) In particular you'll need a networking driver. If you don't have this you can't get online to get any others. If you have an onboard network like most of the most recent hardware does now, this will be built into the motherboard drivers (hopefully you have a driver disc for this so you can be 100% sure of no virus infection.)

Get service pack 2 for Windows XP if you don't already have it and slipstream it into your installation disc on someone else's computer (google for how to do this -- it's not terribly hard, though getting the new slipstreamed installation disc to boot can be a pain sometimes.) With SP2, MS put a very crappy basic firewall in place. It's not good for real use over a long period of time because it won't do anything for trojans and such, but, it will stop things such as the famous worm that infected so many systems recently and nearly anything else that could infect your computer with just a base installation and nothing else. Once you start installing things you increase the risk of infection due to those programs, but, it depends on the programs.

If you have a prebuilt system complete with restore disc, you should be able to call them and ask them to help you step through whatever process they designed for it (there's no standard for restore discs.) As was mentioned before, be sure to unhook the modem until things are set up properly. If you don't have SP2 built into the restore disc, I suggest you go to a friend's PC, download it, and burn to a disc, then install on your newly restored system before hooking up the modem again. Windows XP without SP2 and no other firewall software is like painting a huge target on your back. If you do it, someone will invariably hit you eventually.

Pharoke · Feb 09, 2006, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Baby wipes work good for cleaning off those nasty viruses!

Nazo · Feb 09, 2006, 08:33 PM // 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharoke

Baby wipes work good for cleaning off those nasty viruses!

Actually, they mainly just get bacteria. Virii are tough little things. Some disinfectants like alcohol can kill virii in enough quantities, but, I don't know that they'd put such a harsh thing on a baby wipe.

Lol, sorry, I couldn't resist. It's true though btw. Virii are a lot trickier, but, then they mainly just get you through something consumed, breathed in, etc rather than something you've touched. Guess maybe that's why computers are infected by a software equivalent of "virii" rather than of "bacteria." That or it just sounds better to say "I have a computer virus" than "I have a computer bacteria."

Elrond Afil · Feb 10, 2006, 06:31 AM // 06:31

well, i am going to try this tonight, its better then paying it getting fixed

im just guna pop windows disk in, blah blah blah

put my sp2 and do the rest