Q&A: Formatting your PC to rid viruses
Question: Will formatting my PC get rid of a nasty computer virus?
Question: Will formatting my PC get rid of a nasty computer virus?
Answer: The short answer is "yes," but there’s an "if" and a "but" in there, too.
That is, consider a PC format your last resort. If you can’t remove the virus by using anti-virus software (or by manually finding and deleting an infected file), then you can erase your drive and start again by re-installing a fresh copy of Windows.
But if you backup up your files — which is recommended so you can reinstall them on the newly-formatted computer — and one of these contain the computer virus, then you’ll be re-infecting the PC all over again.
Therefore, you should be sure the backed-up files are virus-free by using an anti-virus program, and reinstall your favourite programs from the original discs they shipped on. Formatting a PC isn’t a bad idea if you know what you’re doing as it’ll make your computer run like new.
Here’s a great walkthrough on how to format your PC.
Not always. Formatting removes the virus if it is on the hard disk. However, there are viruses that don't reside on the hard disk, so everytime you start your computer, it will replicate again.
The answer is simple, delete windows, USE LINUX.
I have had a PC for going on 10 years now and i have found the best way to AVOID viruses is to have a good and reputable antivirus program !!!
Trendmicro offers some of the best protection you can buy on the net today !!!
The problem with reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling all your software is that:
1) It takes a lot of time. Think DAYS, not Hours.
2) You may not be able to reinstall your software. A lot of software, ie:
1) MS WIndows Xp or Vista
2) MS Office, after 2000
3) MS Works Suite, after 2000
4) and MANY other non-Microsoft programs….
MOST SOFTWARE WILL NOT LET YOU REFORMAT AND REINSTALL.
Windows will tell you that it has already been installed on a PC. You will not be able to re-register the software, download updates (SP1, SP2, etc), and so on.
As you may know, Bill Gates is a pauper now. He no longer runs Microsoft, and having donated all his money to charity, needs your charity to survive. He does this by insisting that you buy all new progranms and licences. So that could cost you $600… and up!
The alternative is to spend all day on the phone to Microsoft (an expensive phone call!) and hope a service rep will magically renew your licenses for a mere $35 ea.
And this only refer to the Microsoft stuff. What about your other software???
A BETTER IDEA: Take your computer to a local computer store which is registered with Microsoft and other vendors. They'll have super hi-speed internet, and have license keys that enable them to renew licenses for re-installs. They can also install anti-spy, anti-ad, and anti-virus programs for you.
They may even be able to fix things without re-formatting your HDD, as they have access to several anti-virus programs and other such utilities. Where you may have failed to kill a virus, they may succeed. Of course, this could well cost you up to $300, but may only cost $125.
It's a bummer, but your government wants you to spend all your money to keep the economy going!
If you have ever read the licensing agreements on any modern software from a big company, you will learn that:
1) You do NOT own any of your software. You are basically "renting it for as long as that version works" — maybe 3 or 4 years.
2) You do not actuzlly own any of the data created using that software, and you may access that data (your data) only as long as your software is properly activated and licensed.
If you wonder why this happened, then…
1) Blame the lawyers.
2) Blame your politicians, who let the lawyers get away with it. The technical knowledge, training and expertise of a politician, as it relates to computers, software, licensing, or anything more complex than a paperweight, is basically that of a 6 year old child.
If you think things are better in the MAC world, then you are Delusional!
If you think things are better in the LINUX, UNIX, or other worlds, then you are also Delusional.
MORAL: Protect your PC! It is a toll, not a toy… Unless you are very rich, and can afford a new one every year.
Sorry, but thems the facts.
Formatting is extreme, but it does the job.
Not much is mentioned about rewriteable dud disk that can't be formatted or read from. This tends to happen on sony, vertabim and even acer disks (likely more) or the laser on the rewriteable cd or dvd burner is the reason. This applies even to the new dvd recorders for tv and hdtv and is likely to be just as unreliable when hd and blue ray dvd becomes more common. Most of the world will regret the loss of vhs tapes for this (on average more reliable). A more reliable alternative will have come about to replace this (flash memory card or drive and equivalents with the same consistency, sort of like the 3.5 disks of the past). Duds suck.
I format every 6 months or so….not once have i not been able to reinstall any program due to an error regarding it already being on my computer. Also never had any problem registering, nothing like that.
Its one thing to not like microsoft, but why post probably the most biased comment ive seen in ages. You install your windows, select delete/partition your hd and say yes. Quick format is easy takes minutes. Then windows installs and then when its done you install your programs Takes 4 or 5 hours to install 50gb of programs. wow.
I reformat all the time and don't have the problems Pierre M. Laberge talks about, all I can figure is that he must work for a computer store to suggest taking it to one just to format it. Any good anti virus website will walk you through getting rid of viruses. If you run your virus scanner and antispyware scanner regularly it should help to keep viruses at bay. Most of them will let you schedule scans automatically.
Last resort everyone has a geek friend, lol!!!!
Pierre is dead wrong. I format all the time too and it's easy. You can re-install and register windows as many times as you want on the same machine. Same goes for all other software.
Most computers these days you buy have a seperate partition where the recovery info is stored and if you created the dvd when you bought it (or if they came with it) then formatting and returning your computer to exactly as you bought is only a couple of clicks and a few hours away. Just backup your personal files first.
it's sad to say, but don't get a virus or malware, don't do something stupid to get it.
that's the only answer in today's messed up windows world.
sure, you can blame all the priated software making microsoft behave like this – okay, so let's do that.
i would really love to know if bill gates thinks he'd have the market position he does now if he hand't allowed the pirating to go on and on and on – and now, when he's had enough, he's changed the rules so that you can't even reinstall a legit copy of windows that you bought.
If you are going to the trouble of reformatting, buy a new disk drive.
Take out the infected drive, and format just the new drive and install your operating system on that. Be sure to fully patch it with all the latest updates (give it a day to get just that done). You may have to re-install applications also.
Then, install the old disk as well, as a slave. Any virus on it will remain dormant when you boot off the new disk. Thoroughly scan and clean the old drive with anti-virus software. Make more than one full scan, because virii can hide in registry entries and other difficult spots to clean. You may also have to delete all system restore points on the old drive only, as this is one way that a virus can hide.
You should end up with a clean system, with all your files backed up on the slave drive. Make sure copies of everything important are kept on both the main and slave from then on, so any future infection can be handled with no loss of critical data.
Pierre is mostly wrong, and the other people after him are right and wrong.
I work in an IT department and have to format computers often. 95% of the time, I remove windows and reinstall and let it re-register over the internet without any problems.
That remaining 5% of the time however, all I have to do, which is the hardest part of the whole procedure, is it says it is already registered, you just have to call microsoft's toll free registration number, tell the rep you formatted your computer, and they give you the registration code. No extra costs involved.
Again, hardly ever happens, but if it does, takes all of 10 minutes extra to fix (8 of which is getting through the phone menu :( ).
And MAC and Linux, while not be the answer for everyone, rarely have the problem in the first place since only about 5% – 10% of viruses are directed at these systems, everything else is for windows.
Sorry Pierre,
This isn't true. You CAN call Microsoft with the phone number provided on the Activation screen and if you tell them you've formatted your PC they will give you a new code.
Marc
I have to agree with Rob. I reformat my computer as needed. I have never had any trouble doing so. I also have done some of my friends computers and believe me they have been very grateful to have a fresh copy. It is time consuming but worth the effort.
Use a Mac. Windows sucks
I have 3 computers running 3 separate operating systems. I have a Windows machine, a Mac, and another PC running Ubuntu Linux. My Windows PC doesn't take very long to get bloated with viruses, spyware, etc. Formatting only temporarily removes the problems. I have to be completely honest and satisfied in saying that I have never, ever had this problem with my Mac or my Linux PC. I have never had to format either of them or run an anti virus program and both of them still run flawlessly. If you want to be a care free computer user, switch to Mac or Linux, things are much better. I don't even use my Windows PC anymore.
Reformatting and reinstalling can be a chore if you already have a large collection of software to reinstall. And in all the times I've had to reinstall due to corruption, virii, failed hardware, etc… only ONCE have I had to call Microsoft when I couldn't activate (registration is NOT necessary) XP and they quickly fixed the issue without any hassle at all.
Pierre, Steve and any applicable others… I have worked on various versions of DOS, Windows, Unix, Linux, OSX, MVS, VMS, etc… and no one o/s is the solution to all life's problems. Mac and linux solutions may be less likely to get virii, but you also sacrifice convenience and ease of use, as well as the HUGE library of software built for Windows. Frankly I find the hype of Apple computers silly as there is nothing I can think of you can do with a Mac that you can't do with a Windows PC, and sometimes it IS easier in the Windows environment. You may have a PERSONAL PREFERENCE, but one is NOT better than the other.
Pierre = Computer technician who wants your money…
He sure sounds like a guy who works for the "Geeksquad" or some other one of those thieves that charge 150$ to install a hard disk.
Pierre get lost with your rants…
You're paying for someone that knows what they're doing. It's called labour, and its worth every penny for those who want peace of mind. Just because YOU know how to backup and recover, doesn't mean every Tom Dick and Harry does.
I can have my PC fully recovered within 4-6hours including every update and piece of software I want, including backing up my files. For someone to come into my store (won't plug) and pay 100$ flat rate for 6hours of work, sorry but they are getting a deal.
See here's the thing…going back to the days of 40 meg hard drives, I got into the habit of multiple drives.
I like partioning drives so that I have a drive for my opsys and programs, a drive for my data, and then another drive for games and stuff. This helps contain viruses, and always makes reformatting a drive a breeze, which I tend to do regularly because Windows is crap.
I have to agree with most of the people here about formating your computer to get rid of viruses. However don't let anyone tell you it is as simple as just putting in the disk and letting it reinstall. There are some serious things you should think about before formatting for any reason.
1. Make sure you have ALL of the programs that you use on a regular basis, either on CD/dvd or flash drive. Some programs you download from the net on a whim and decide, Hey I like this so you pay the 19$ and now you own it but you have to make sure you save your key for that program or it is now useless if you forget where you got it.
2. Make sure you back up EVERYTHING, this is one of BIGGEST points ever. Too many times have I heard of people backing up there computer and they just lost some of there music, some pictures, important documents, e-mails, favorites…etc. If you don't know what to back up ask a geek friend where to look, an example is backing up your pictures might look like you just backup the "My pictures" directory but if you use a program like the kodak picture album it can save your pictures in a different place and you just missed backing them up.
3. Make sure you have the original OS disk for the computer. Proprietary OEM disks are sent out with some computer, Dell, E-machine, Gateway, these disks can not be used on any other computer line. However there are some that are even more strict but they are not even OS disks, they are recovery disks for HP, Compaq, Toshiba, these disks are not a reload of windows they are a snapshot of your drive preloaded. That is how it restores everything on your computer, by writing that image to your drive again(caution with this if your recovery disks were created after you realized you had a virus you could just have the same problem after reinstalling, also the same goes for recovery partitions if your HDD has a virus on it there is a good chance they second partition would have that virus as well)
4. Do some research and find a good Antivirus software, my preferance is http://www.avast.com. 100% free for home users and it doesn't bog your system down. Download it and put it on a flash drive for install after you reinstall your computer.
Now your ready to reinstall, as for the actuall process it really isn't that tough. The bull crap about not being able to reinstall because MS will say "this product is already installed..etc" Bull crap. The only reason you get this is if your hardware changes, rectified by a phone call to MS who are happy to help you out FOR FREE and 10-15 minutes of your time at the most. Or your useing Pirated software and if that is what your doing then tough that is your problem.
Also don't be afraid, try to do it yourself, what is the worst that can happen? If you have everything backed up already the worst things that can happen is you have to take it to a guy like me and you spend the money you were going to already.
Oh and for anyone who questions it, I have being in the IT industry for 13 years, I format my own computer probably 1 every 2-3 months just because of all the crap I download to try out. Also my role with the last 2 companys that I have worked for has being to keep desktops up and running for users. This includes formatting, and backing up important data worth potentially millions.
As for getting rid of viruses, a format will get rid of 99% of your viruses. For that 1% that it doesn't get rid of, it is time to call a pro, but try it yourself, you will learn alot, and total time for myself on a full reload at home including backup, 250GB drive to backup, approximatly 3-4 hours and 3 of that is backing up data.
I know anyone can do this so try it.