Does reformatting remove spyware/viruses

G

garrityst

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Jul 29, 2004
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Hello, my PC is very corrupt with advanced spyware or a virus. I can't seem to find any other solution, so I am going to try to reformat my harddrive. So does reformatting your harddrive get rid of spyare and viruses and everything. I dont mind reformatting my hard drive at all, but I want to make sure it will work
 
Someone just had a large thread in regards to that. Mentioned Best Buy in it. Do a search to find the thread.

gl
 
Short answer, yes. Virii and spyware are software, if you remove 100% of your software and replace it, you will remove the bad stuff. There are some virii that can hide on your HDD, but they are few and far between.

It won't fix the root cause to your problem, though. How did you got spyware or a virus in the first place? Answer, bad computing. You (or whoever got that junk installed) need to learn how to close the 'do your want to install and run' dialog without hitting 'yes,' or stop opening attachments from e-mail, or one of several other 'bad' things.
 
garrityst said:
Hello, my PC is very corrupt with advanced spyware or a virus. I can't seem to find any other solution, so I am going to try to reformat my harddrive. So does reformatting your harddrive get rid of spyare and viruses and everything. I dont mind reformatting my hard drive at all, but I want to make sure it will work
Click to expand...

Do you even know how to reformat and reinstall the OS? If you do you wouldn't be asking this question.
 
almostinsane1 said:
Do you even know how to reformat and reinstall the OS? If you do you wouldn't be asking this question.
Click to expand...

That was helpful. Thanks for contributing to this thread.
 
almostinsane1 said:
Do you even know how to reformat and reinstall the OS? If you do you wouldn't be asking this question.
Click to expand...
An astute observation. I can't wait until you ask a question.
 
Phoenix86 said:
Short answer, yes. Virii and spyware are software, if you remove 100% of your software and replace it, you will remove the bad stuff. There are some virii that can hide on your HDD, but they are few and far between.

It won't fix the root cause to your problem, though. How did you got spyware or a virus in the first place? Answer, bad computing. You (or whoever got that junk installed) need to learn how to close the 'do your want to install and run' dialog without hitting 'yes,' or stop opening attachments from e-mail, or one of several other 'bad' things.
Click to expand...
i wouldnt say bad computing, spy-ware is easy to get. just do adaware once every week. and theres a good amount on one computer, by just getting it from some websites.
 
chuckm1020 said:
...... and theres a good amount on one computer, by just getting it from some websites.
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....if you use Internet Explorer.
 
xdviper said:
soo wat??
over 90% of all windows users use IE
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you forgot misconfigured, and unpatched versions of IE :p

so what?
if your going to use IE disable active X, java scripts, Windows Script Hosting
remove Microsoft Java Virtual machine, ect ect,
then lock it down tight and use a layered defense
 
chuckm1020 said:
i wouldnt say bad computing, spy-ware is easy to get. just do adaware once every week. and theres a good amount on one computer, by just getting it from some websites.
Click to expand...
That's where I disagree. I'm running IE, with activeX and java(sun) and I don't get spyware. I scan weekly, and the only thing I find is cookies (which I could block otherwise). The whole IT department is setup this way and 90% of us never get spyware (sadly not all IT folks have good practices). Our users on the other hand... They get crap all day long, what's the difference? Educated users.

I'm not saying activeX and java, or the scripting host are 100% safe to run, just that if you keep your eyes open you won't run into problems.
 
well when I build a machine for someone, or as is becoming more common disinfect a machine for someone, I delete all the shortcuts and start menu entries to IE, and then hide the program folder for good measure :p

as well as configure it, patch it and disable WSH, and remove Virtual machine
even when its not the default browser, it will still popup when you select a help file in some aps, and if you need to manually update a patch, you need it, so I place a shortcut with instructions in the security folder
(hmmm...that needs an explaination, I make a toolbar called ARK and then make subdirectories in it that contain groups of ap shortcuts with txt instructions for the users, when, how, manually updating ect the IE link is with the microsoft baseline security analyzer)

replacing it with Firefox, because as you pointed out, actually configuring and maintaining IE is really beyond the average user, I personally use both IE and Firefox, and I even go places with IE that I wouldnt recommend anyone goes regardless of their browser, but of course I am relying on my vast resevoir of paranoia to see me through such treks into the underworld :p

did you hear that development of CWShredder has stopped? The Cool Web Search Trojans are just getting too sophisticated to remove with the resources the project had
I recently disinfected a machine with the latest varient of about:blank and i can tell you it was no picnic, 99% of the users out there would have simply reformatted about halfway through the fight, and Id say about 66% of the users in here
(we have a stubborn lot of core users that consider an infection a personal insult :p)
 
Just wait until your get to play around with virtual bouncer. The whole point of that spyware is to download... MOAR SPYWARE!!!

yea!

And it's a bitch to remove... and if you get it removed you will likely have OS damage.

yea x2!!

You can litteraly sit in front of the machine and watch new spyware get installed (new icons magically appear on the desktop) and the various spyware will just keep opening windows.

yes x3!!!
 
Phoenix86 said:
Just wait until your get to play around with virtual bouncer. The whole point of that spyware is to download... MOAR SPYWARE!!!

yea!

And it's a bitch to remove... and if you get it removed you will likely have OS damage.

yea x2!!

You can litteraly sit in front of the machine and watch new spyware get installed (new icons magically appear on the desktop) and the various spyware will just keep opening windows.

yes x3!!!
Click to expand...

that rig had virtual bouncer :p
I alluded to that when I said at the start I was killing processes slightly slower than they where being added, and that some of the spyware removal tools where in fact spyware themselves, make that malware :rolleyes:
without ProcessGuard I dont think I would have won that battle ;)

I didnt have manual removal instructions for it
but I was able to forstall it and it seemed to disappear after I combed the registry for any keys I didnt like, it was amazing that I didnt wreck the OS, I was deleting wholesale
II ran so many legitimate aps Im not really sure what finally killed it
Ive never run TDS-3 and had 61 Trojans found before
 
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