O/T Question for computer gurus

[ironone1]

Sorry to get off topic but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable bros on here that know a lot about computers. I've been trying to get my gf's IT guy at work to clean the virus that my son put on my computer but he's always too busy.

I figured I could fix the virus on my computer if I just formatted my C drive, right? My problem is that I don't have all of the drivers (mainly Windows XP, and MS Word) if it erases it too. Will formatting my hard drive erase any programs or my XP operating system? I know to backup my files that I want saved but is there anything else important I should know or have to reinstall once I format my C drive? Will this clear the virus I have? Thank you in advance as always for the much needed help......I1

 

[NY Muscle]

Yeah it wipes it all, viruses and programs. You should search for drivers online for your programs and see if you can find them before you delete the whole system. I have a few laptops and a desktop that I use for my business and personal and the personal one with all the movie and music downloads got demolished from the most unreal viruses. Formatting (wiping) is great but you have to reinstall it allover again.

If you get to do all of this successfully and in the future you should looking into getting an imaging software. Once you have all your programs back and your pc is operating perfect you use the software to create and image (you need a good back up drive for this, I use a 1Tetrabye external drive). If will save the exact "image" at that date and time so if you run the program on August 15th and then a month later you get a virus or it crashes, you install the image you took on the 15th (that is saved on the external hard drive) and it brings you back to that day in time with EVERY program you had before. No need to reinstall, install drivers blah blah. Most people will run the pogram weekly (backing the whole system up to the hard drive) so they have a fresh copy of their system if it crashes. More info here:

Acronis True Image 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

 

[ironone1]

Yeah it wipes it all, viruses and programs. You should search for drivers online for your programs and see if you can find them before you delete the whole system. I have a few laptops and a desktop that I use for my business and personal and the personal one with all the movie and music downloads got demolished from the most unreal viruses. Formatting (wiping) is great but you have to reinstall it allover again.

If you get to do all of this successfully and in the future you should looking into getting an imaging software. Once you have all your programs back and your pc is operating perfect you use the software to create and image (you need a good back up drive for this, I use a 1Tetrabye external drive). If will save the exact "image" at that date and time so if you run the program on August 15th and then a month later you get a virus or it crashes, you install the image you took on the 15th (that is saved on the external hard drive) and it brings you back to that day in time with EVERY program you had before. No need to reinstall, install drivers blah blah. Most people will run the pogram weekly (backing the whole system up to the hard drive) so they have a fresh copy of their system if it crashes. More info here:

Acronis True Image 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

Good info, thanks bro. The guy at the computer store at the mall told me they have this thing where they just put a reset button on your computer and it resets everything. He said you don't have to defrag or use any virus protection with it. Not worth it for $200 though when I can buy a new one for $500.

 

[ironone1]

Yeah it wipes it all, viruses and programs. You should search for drivers online for your programs and see if you can find them before you delete the whole system. I have a few laptops and a desktop that I use for my business and personal and the personal one with all the movie and music downloads got demolished from the most unreal viruses. Formatting (wiping) is great but you have to reinstall it allover again.

If you get to do all of this successfully and in the future you should looking into getting an imaging software. Once you have all your programs back and your pc is operating perfect you use the software to create and image (you need a good back up drive for this, I use a 1Tetrabye external drive). If will save the exact "image" at that date and time so if you run the program on August 15th and then a month later you get a virus or it crashes, you install the image you took on the 15th (that is saved on the external hard drive) and it brings you back to that day in time with EVERY program you had before. No need to reinstall, install drivers blah blah. Most people will run the pogram weekly (backing the whole system up to the hard drive) so they have a fresh copy of their system if it crashes. More info here:

Acronis True Image 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

So you would just burn the drivers on a cd or a flash drive maybe? Sounds like it might be over my head. You just run the disks to install the programs. No special commands to load Windows? It won't mess with my hardware though like my sound card?

 

[ironone1]

Yeah it wipes it all, viruses and programs. You should search for drivers online for your programs and see if you can find them before you delete the whole system. I have a few laptops and a desktop that I use for my business and personal and the personal one with all the movie and music downloads got demolished from the most unreal viruses. Formatting (wiping) is great but you have to reinstall it allover again.

If you get to do all of this successfully and in the future you should looking into getting an imaging software. Once you have all your programs back and your pc is operating perfect you use the software to create and image (you need a good back up drive for this, I use a 1Tetrabye external drive). If will save the exact "image" at that date and time so if you run the program on August 15th and then a month later you get a virus or it crashes, you install the image you took on the 15th (that is saved on the external hard drive) and it brings you back to that day in time with EVERY program you had before. No need to reinstall, install drivers blah blah. Most people will run the pogram weekly (backing the whole system up to the hard drive) so they have a fresh copy of their system if it crashes. More info here:

Acronis True Image 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

I might buy it. Does this backup all your drivers and programs to reload after you format it or do you still need your drivers?

 

[PlateStacker45]

A reset button on your computer?!?! Buahaha.. dude was really fuckin with you man! And yea.. you don't have to be a computer "guru" or IT guy to get rid on a couple viruses lol.
Why don't you simple just take your computer back a month or two? Or if it's beyond repair, slick it and reload Windows. SIMPLE! Ohh and btw.. might wanna throw a good Anit-Virus on there next time?

 

[ironone1]

A reset button on your computer?!?! Buahaha.. dude was really fuckin with you man! And yea.. you don't have to be a computer "guru" or IT guy to get rid on a couple viruses lol.
Why don't you simple just take your computer back a month or two? Or if it's beyond repair, slick it and reload Windows. SIMPLE! Ohh and btw.. might wanna throw a good Anit-Virus on there next time?

Yeah my son got it infected awhile ago. I can try to go back and restore it but its been awhile since its been on there. I need the Windows disk and some of the other drivers. My ex screwed with my computer and took some of my drivers when I moved out. I could kill the bitch.

 

[hawkmoon]

Just format the thing and install Ubuntu Linux. You will never need worry about viruses, etc again.

 

[NY Muscle]

I might buy it. Does this backup all your drivers and programs to reload after you format it or do you still need your drivers?

You need nothing, thats the beauty of it. It installs it all for you, bada bing done. You do not need drivers, etc etc. The image that was saved to the external hard drive is your whole computer system. Its a great program and I highly recommend it.

 

[ironone1]

You need nothing, thats the beauty of it. It installs it all for you, bada bing done. You do not need drivers, etc etc. The image that was saved to the external hard drive is your whole computer system. Its a great program and I highly recommend it.

Wow, not bad for $50 bucks either. I'm trying to restore it but its only letting me go back 3 months. I got the virus about 1 or 2 years ago. So you save it on this program first and then simply format your hard drive? Sounds awesome and you don't ever need virus protection again? Looks like you can't beat it for that price. I'm sold for sure..

 

[ironone1]

Just format the thing and install Ubuntu Linux. You will never need worry about viruses, etc again.

This is a free program? Its not the one NYMuscle is talking about is it? This takes the place of Windows? I'm confused...

 

[NY Muscle]

Wow, not bad for $50 bucks either. I'm trying to restore it but its only letting me go back 3 months. I got the virus about 1 or 2 years ago. So you save it on this program first and then simply format your hard drive? Sounds awesome and you don't ever need virus protection again? Looks like you can't beat it for that price. I'm sold for sure..

You need to get rid of the virus, do NOT image your hard drive with a virus in it as it will reinstall it with the virus. So you need to wipe/format your computer, you need to manually get the software/drivers etc back in there. Since you never had this imaging software. After you get your pc back to being good again, that is when you take the image of it. Use that as your safely net if you ever get a virus. Yes you do need an anti virus, I do not recommend you keep wiping your computer every time you get a virus. Also you should replace the imagine each week because if you take on image on August 15th, you get a bad virus in December or your system crashes and you can't fix it and the only fix is to format your C drive again then all you have is your August 15th system and you will lose everything from August 15the up to the crash so that is why every week it is smart to replace the image on your external hard drive with a new image/back up so that you have the most current replica of your system possible if you ever need to reinstall your system.

 

[NY Muscle]

This is a free program? Its not the one NYMuscle is talking about is it? This takes the place of Windows? I'm confused...

That Linux stuff is beyond my compuer knowledge! :banghead:

 

[PlateStacker45]

Just format the thing and install Ubuntu Linux. You will never need worry about viruses, etc again.

He has a hard time figuring out Windows, and you think Linux is a good idea?!? Hahaha... wow

 

[ironone1]

You need nothing, thats the beauty of it. It installs it all for you, bada bing done. You do not need drivers, etc etc. The image that was saved to the external hard drive is your whole computer system. Its a great program and I highly recommend it.

Ok, got ya now. I figured you had to clear the virus first before you use this software or obviously it would image it with the virus on it. I have to get all the drivers then. Do I need the ones for my hardware too? What's a good virus program? I know Mc Afee and Norton aren't that good. I was using CA security that was free from Time Warner.

 

[ironone1]

..

 

[NY Muscle]

Pretty sweet. I see they have it now for $20 off @ $29.99. Yeah it backs your operating system and everything up. How does it work though? It saves everything on the disk they give you?

It is a back up program that you just let it run (read manual) but like I said you need to have an external hard drive, like $100, try to get 500gb or 1TB if you can. It will need a lot of room depending on your current HD size. Lets say you have a 320GB computer it will probably need close to 200GB (thats what mine does but I do not havbe my entire 320gb used up on my laptop) to make the image so you need a good size external hard drive. It is just a fancy back up system that enables you to reinstall your entire system as you had it the day you did the image/back up.

 

[hawkmoon]

He has a hard time figuring out Windows, and you think Linux is a good idea?!? Hahaha... wow

When is the last time you have used Ubuntu?
My 63 year old dad was having me visit every weekend to fix his broken and infected Windows PC.
I installed Ubuntu and thereafter only visited for his great Sunday morning breakfasts. He adapted to Linux in a few days and loves it.

 

[MrDeflation]

No formatting required

All you need and say bye bye to any virus on your computer. You should be able to download all these from cnet.com

THESE ARE ALL FREE


-- AVG virus scanner

-- **broken link removed**
--Adaware

--CCcleaner

--Malwarebytes

And the MOST important one

** Combofix ** --follow the instructions exactly


Thats all you need to do and ANY virus will be long gone...

 

[ironone1]

When is the last time you have used Ubuntu?
My 63 year old dad was having me visit every weekend to fix his broken and infected Windows PC.
I installed Ubuntu and thereafter only visited for his great Sunday morning breakfasts. He adapted to Linux in a few days and loves it.

Damn virus every weekend? Better tell him to stop downloading all that infected porn, lol.