malware on reformatted drive

[jwhiz]

Hi all;
Can anyone tell me how it's possible to have malware on a recently formatted drive, when the OS won't even locate the modem?
This PC is a nightmare, first all-integrated system I've dealt with, put 98SE on because some nut put XP on the 8 GB drive on this thing. It also wouldn't recognize the modem, USB was also very spotty, and took long minutes to load and shutdown, so I went back in time. For extra special fun, there is no identification on the few card-like objects, and I can't identify a video chipset.
I went to DriverGuide and downloaded a neat sounding program which identifies mystery hardware and the required drivers (from my own PC). However, the program crashes on my friend's computer. I then tried running Registry First AId, which I've run several times on other PCs, and it won't start.
Then I ran some (non-updated) versions of Spybot and Ad-Aware, both of which found numerous naughties, several Alexa things.
?!!
I have some WIN98/Explorer updates and A/V updates on removable media, but not for anti-spyware programs, so these only found pre-existing, old stuff?
I did a fairly quick reformatting, my usual procedure, can anyone recommend a more thorough procedure, or a DOS program for tracking down these bad beasts before reinstalling the OS?
I've almost sold my friend on trying Linux...this very PC was supposed to be a Linux machine, long story, but have three different working versions around...

 

[muckshifter]

Can anyone tell me how it's possible to have malware on a recently formatted drive, when the OS won't even locate the modem?

Nope! not impossible, but 99% highly improbable.

So, where do you want to start first ... FDISK gosub reformat return?

Linux?

Do you have any distinguishing marks at all on the MB?


Oh I do love a challenge.

 

[jwhiz]

i gave up

hi;
believe mobo might be a SiS (shows up in computer description on rightclick menu on my computer icon). There is not even a CSA rating sticker on this...this...THING...never mind a maker's name or model!

I ran Eraser on it, then did fdisk, then format c:/s, then win98SE, then an unzip program...still couldn't get DriverGuide program, which is supposed to detect all mystery hardware and elicit drivers, to run without crashing. Offered to put Linux on, but could only put on older versions which probably wouldn't run her digital camera software, and my newest Linux (Fedora 3?) needs a DVD drive to boot...

I gave up when she said she was going to get a new system in a month anyway - ARGH! I hate being so totally beaten! (I got sound to work, but could not identify video chipset to save my life, and neither the modem nor the NIC drivers would work).

I use an Apple PowerBook (17", not the firestarter one) for my important work...the old pc will be a linux server when I give up on my three other systems and get an updated xp-pc...tra la la...sigh.

muckraker, wish i knew someone like you in my town over the pond, oh well, forums help sometimes.