Firewall? OR Sasser virus thread

[Bobbias]

Alternately, you can simply boot the windows install CD, reinstall windows without formatting your drive, which deletes your windows directory and completely wipes out windows without killing everything else.....


Nobody seems to know you can actually do that.

[Sneaky]

I know there are some people that can do that, I can't Otherwise I would have. My OEM install CDs from eMachines, when inserted, gives the options 1) boot from Dos [or something] and 2) reinstall windows

when you choose to reinstall, it warns you that the drive will be formatted, with no way around it. I'm sure if I had some perfectly legitimate copy windows install disc, I could have done that, but I didn't at the time. Fresh windows is always nice anyway.

[Bobbias]

Ouch. I really think that nobody should be able to repackage windows like that.

But yeah, reinstalling windows without formatting works just as well for most viruses. You get the odd one that somehow survives, but then you know your dealing with one major virus.

[Alice]

Alternately, you can simply boot the windows install CD, reinstall windows without formatting your drive, which deletes your windows directory and completely wipes out windows without killing everything else.....


Nobody seems to know you can actually do that.

I've had to do that a few times, actually.  It's super effective.

[Bobbias]

I've had to do that a few times, actually.  It's super effective.

Quite, I've only had like, 1 virus survive it, and it was one of those REALLY nasty ones.  Still managed to kill it without losing my stuff.