? for all the computer wizards in the SWVRC

[SS7]

standard fdisk full format will clean the hd from any previous filesystem or malicious software, and its free. If you hold the license from a previous microsoft os that is no longer in service, I would just use that serial.

 

[mike68]

fdisk is not the same as utility that writes the disk back to 0's. if you do this the new install will be better. as i have seen some stuff that will still be there after a new install.

 

[manderx]

computers wouldn't work if data was automatically recovered or left intact after a delete or format. once it's flagged as empty in the file system, it's as good as 0'd out unless you are trying to hide something from someone who knows how to reconstruct deleted files.

it's possible to have a boot sector virus still on there after rebuilding a specific partition, but any decent bios for the past 15 years restricts access to the boot sector so that shouldn't be the case. if there appeared to be residual stuff on a drive after a fdisk/format/install, then almost certainly another partition or some of the backed up data had the virus in there. or, some viruses hop across a network very easily, reinfecting a computer once it's back up and on the network.

 

[ktnjer]

In my mistakes of deleting a partition and reformatting, i only had troubles still. I wasn't on a network neither. I always write zeros....

Oh and they have recovery methods of obtaining info after reformatting and writing zeros if someone really wanted to recover the old info you had on there. Only way to get rid of it permanently is to either use a huge magnet and go over the casing of the hard drive, or get a ball peen hammer and smash it on your concrete driveway! Either way renders the hard drive in inop...

Eric is getting some edumacation out of this thread now! Never knew where this could lead...

 

[mike68]

i had a worm, virus or whatever it was on my system. as soon as it booted up it would go to like a dos screen and say i hate you, then just go down. i fdisked it reformatted and reinstalled windows and it was still there.

after that i got a utility program to write it 0's and that fixed it. i'm not really sure what it was. this was on a 5 or 6 year old sony with xp pro.

 

[NbMaxx13]

So , whatever it is I need to do to get this thing in running shape , I would like to do it by wednesday... Anyone want to volunteer thier services in trade for some reef related products? =0)

 

[ktnjer]

Sure!

 

[NbMaxx13]

I should say that , I don't have the windows disk , or for that matter any other software... The number is still on the side though..... Don't know if this hurts my chances of getting it done......

 

[ade]

Do you have steve dyers # he might be able to help you out. He has helped me out many times.

 

[NbMaxx13]

Hadn't thought of it ... but yeah I am going to call him...

 

[ktnjer]

If it has Xp Pro on it, I have the install disc for it. No problem to obtain the drivers for it because I could network my computer to it and install the drivers needed.