suspect having virus, format and reinstall windows fix?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Amy Li
  • Start date Start date
A

Amy Li

Hi all,

I doubt that virus are on my computer running windowsXP
professional. Symptoms: when click "help and support",
no respond at all; when click "search" for "files and
folders" from "start" menu, the search companion panel is
totally blank; microsoft office programs such
as "word", "excel", etc. all fail to open when being
clicked, the error message asking for reinstallation
while they are all in the "program"'s folder; the
Symantec antivirus software runs extremely slow!

I have run antivirus software, found no virus according
to it. Just get rid of "blaster worm", set up ICF. But
the above problems persist.

My question is: at this stage I don't have to keep any
data of my own on this computer, if I format the computer
and reinstall WindowsXP, will that get rid of whatever
viruses? What bad effects that creats, like will I lose
memory, etc.?

Thank you for helping me out. I need this computer for a
class that will start very soon! Again, Thanks a lot!

Amy
 
If you dont need any data on that computer anymore, best bet, format and
reinstall. NO side effects and you will find yourself very happy with the
speed.
 
You don't say that you installed the KB823980 patch - this must be done
or your machine will keep getting re-infected by blaster.

I personally do not trust ICF, and on their blaster worm info page even
Microsoft suggests installing a software firewall and gives links to
several sites with free firewall software. Even so, a firewall will NOT
patch the RCP vulnerability, so definitely install the patch.

Formatting & re-installing Windows will STILL require that you install
the patch to remove the vulnerability or you're just going to have the
same problems all over again as soon as you get on the internet and get
re-infected.

Steve
 
With one type of exception - boot sector viruses; a format will not
touch the MBR but FDISK /MBR will :)

I know there are probably no new boot sector viruses but the old ones
are still around.

Steve
 
A zero-fill utility takes care of a boot sector of virus?

Stephen

--

Drop 123 to email me.


| With one type of exception - boot sector viruses; a format will not
| touch the MBR but FDISK /MBR will :)
|
| I know there are probably no new boot sector viruses but the old ones
| are still around.
|
| Steve
|
| Stephen wrote:
| > Yes, reformatting will get rid of the viruses in most cases. Once
infected
| > God only knows what went on, eh? So a wipe and reinstall might be your
safer
| > bet.
| >
| > BTW how are the harddrive partition(s) formatted, FAT32 or NTFS? Because
I
| > was wondering if you might check the harddisk integrity through either
| > scandisk or checkdisk. If the harddisk coincidentally is going belly up
then
| > a reinstall won't fix anything.
| >
| > Stephen
| >
|
 
Back
Top