Jonny said:
I have PC with Window XP PRo on it. It has been hacked
and a number of auto download crap is on it. How do I re-
install Windows? Do I need to reformat the drive?
If it is in such a bad state, a clean install has great merit; then you
know where you are. You need to back up all data files, and make sure
you have the means to re-install software (if you downloaded files to
install from, back them up too; make sure you have records of
registration codes. Make sure you have the 25 character XP Product key
needed to install (if you have lost it, get the free Aida 32, enterprise
edition from
http://www.aida32.hu/aida-download.php?bit=32
which is an excellent general System Info tool, and its Software -
Licenses page will tell you the one used for Windows and ones for
several other items.)
You will find the Files and Settings transfer system useful in taking
settings and so on - things like email data - read Gary Woodruff's
article on Files and settings Transfer at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm
Then enter BIOS setup at Power on, hitting the hotkey needed, and set
the Boot order to CD Rom before Hard disk. Boot the XP CD direct.
Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New Install. When it
asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the current
partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted at the next stage
The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one
Then reinstall software and restore data files
And implement the XP Firewall *before* you go on line for even a moment
to download and reinstall all the Windows Updates, or you will be
infected again within a minute. It could be worth getting the
consolidated CD of security updates (which includes SP1 I'm told) in
advance - order at
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp