Infected Hard Disk - Reformat

[usxhe190]

Ah Behemoth, you just reminded me on how to do a clean install for Vista on laptops. Many thanks!

[misae]

Most laptops that come with a recovery partition and option to make your own recovery DVDs.

With regards to formatting becauase of spyware infections, a simple OS reinstall will take care of most infections, and I never recommend trying to patch an OS to get rid of any particularly nasty infections as the OS is never safe again.

My normal procedure is:

1. Backup any valuable data that user specifies with caveat that the backup cannot be guaranteed.

2. Format HDD using built in reinstall format utility on CD/DVD.

3. Reinstall from an OEM version disc with users key.

4. Install latest drivers and advise purchase of a decent A/V and A/Spyware program. Advise that, "if someone insists on wanting to drive their car at 100 mph into a wall, no amount of air bags are going to be guaranteed to save them and to drive more carefully next time".

5. And usually I offer to upgrade their PC too if applicable.

Then I normally expect a call about a month later advising of the same problem. After the second bill though they usually learn to be more careful. Money is a great teacher I find.

[usxhe190]

Thanks misae and lol

[kingpotnoodle]

Dust off an nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

1. Backup anything they would be upset to lose to a USB drive, remember photos, videos, documents, favorites etc

2. Download UBCD, boot from this and run DBAN (Darik's Boot & Nuke) and run a write zeros, single pass to the whole drive.

3. Use an OEM install media of the licensed OS (see sticker on the PC) and input their key.

4. Fully patch, install as much good security software as you can get (minimum MS Security Essentials, Chrome+AdBlock and Spybot S&D)... just not Norton cos it just sucks.

5. DISABLE AUTORUN AND LOG IN AS A USER WITH NO ADMIN RIGHTS.

6. Insert backup and before you do anything else scan the files with all the security software.

7. Restore backed up files and give them a lesson on basic security:

- Use a non-admin account
- Don't open links in MSN or email, even from your friends unless you know what the link is and it's for something important - jokes are funny and all but they often carry malware, so just laugh at something else.
- Keep you AV & AS up to date.
- Stay away from blatantly dodgy websites and stick to ones you know and trust
- Don't let other people who are clueless use your computer or put their USB sticks in it

[usxhe190]

Thanks for the info kingpotnoodle!