disc wipe

[kleinboet]

Following advice from a mate, I want to wipe my C disc clean and re-install Windows XP. I need to wipe because I can't get rid of the viruses.

Can someone please tell a stupid old man how to do it please.

[jeepster]

hate to pass the buck but one for newt i think! been so long since i actually did it, i cant remember the

specifics!

[Ian FG]

kleinbot, are you sure you want to do this? Can't you get a geeky mate to do it?

You need to learn about:

1. making a boot disk

2. using fdisk

3. using format

4. changing BIOS to boot from CD

5. installing XP

6. loading all your drivers, programs and settings (the hardest bit)

7. updating everything from the Internet.

 

I am a geeky mate and have done it for a few people so I should know

[Dan]

Oh no ..... thats where I started, and mines now on its way back to the manufacturer! but it seems it has some other terminal malfunction! What ever you do make sure have copies of all the drivers for your mother board, sound and video cards usbs, modem etc, if you havent got the CD's or the recovery disc from the original supplier then you should be able to find them on the c drive. I think if you go to system on control panel, hardware, and device manager it tells where the existing driver is.

The other thing to remember is that you will lose all your personal files so back them up too.

If I had access to my new pc I could email the instructions mesh sent me, its fairly staight forward, but I havent! so I'll let someone with a bit more detailed knowledge give guidance. Once youve done that and re-installed XP either download AVG from Grisoft (its a free virus checker and a firewall like zonealarm) or buy Mc affee/norton etc.

The good news is that its difficult to completely stuff a pc and you can always pay someone to fix it if thngs get really bad!

 

Good luck

 

Dan

[Dan]

Ive found my sheets from Mesh, email me if you want me to scan and send them, its 6 pages long and I'll do it tomorrow from work. Its not too complicated if you know your way around a pc a bit, i dont think I'm a geek but managed it!

 

Dan

[jeepster]

god bless the geeky mate!

[dunc85]

I did this recently and I wouldn't recommend it. As soon as you connect to the internet you will be infected with viruses until you install the Windows updates.

 

You would probably be ok if you had anti-virus and more importantly a firewall installed before you connected to the net. So in other words, you need them on CD.

[jeepster]

you dont get infected the instant you connect, only when you visit a site which is infected, or download a dodgy file, so i think you'll be safe till you install norton or whatever, no need to be too paranoid!

[dunc85]

Sasser and Blaster infect you by creating random IP addresses and infecting those vulnerable systems:

 

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcen...asser.worm.html

 

Blaster does the same. Those are the two most high profile, there are obviously others.

[kendo]

let's hear it for the geeks hip hip hooray