Re: Does anyone recognize this?

From: David H. Lipman (DLipman~nospam~_at_Verizon.Net)
Date: 05/26/05 

Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 15:18:23 GMT

From: "nemo_outis" <abc@xyz.com>

|
| To minimize the amount of work I suggest the following.
|
| 1. Reformat the entire drive. But that's not enough. I suggest you
| also repartition it and restore the MBR (e.g., with fdisk).
| Alternatively - and better - do a "manufacturer's level reformat" (using
| software available from Western Dignital, Maxtor, Hitahi, seagate, etc.
| as the case may be.)
|
| 2. Reformat the disk (and repartiton it, etc.)
|
| 3. Install just the OS from known-good sources (e.g., original Windows
| CDs)
|
| 4. Install Ghost (or Acronis, etc.) from known-good sources (or even
| use a diskette or CD-based version that doesn't require installation).
| Backup the HD as an image.
|
| 5. Install your most trustworthy programs from known-good sources
| (e.g., MS Office from CDs)
|
| 6. Backup entire HD with Ghost, Acronis, etc. (incremental backup
| shpould suffice).
|
| 7. Install second-tier (less trustworthy) software. Backup with Ghost
| as per step 6.
|
| 8. Repeat steps 7 & 6 in stages adding a few more programs, confirming
| the system is clean, and backup. Repeat until all is well and system is
| fully up. If you encounter problems at any point, roll back to a
| previous working disk image.
|
| I know this seems tedious (and it is) but the idea of regular incremental
| image backups is something you should be doing anyway and this ill be a
| baptim of fire in that discipline :-)
|
| Regards,
|

There is really no "low level format" of ATAPI/EIDE hard disks. The term "zero fill" the
drive (writing "zero" to all areas of the hard disk). However, there is no indication of a
Boot Sector Infector, just adware/spyware and a "fdisk /mbr" and "zero fill" of the hard
disk is unwarranted. Just deleting the partition and recreating the partition then a high
level format of the drive is needed. 

-- 
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm

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