Re: Clearing the hard drive.

From: Mike Mulligan (mmulligan_at_invalid.net)
Date: 08/12/03 

Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 16:01:25 -0400

To prevent your system from contracting viruses, Trojans or worms you must:

1. Install competent anti-virus software and configure it correctly. Scan
your computer often and be sure to update the virus signatures regularly.

2. Regularly run Windows Update and install every critical security update.

3. Install a software firewall and configure it correctly.

4. Practice safe and sensible computing.

The above will virtually guarantee that no virus, Trojan or worm will find
its way onto your computer. Nonetheless, you must always:

5. Regularly backup every file and folder that is important to you on
removable media.

This provides the security of knowing that, if anything does happen to your
computer, you will always have recent copies of your files and folders.

With the above five steps, you will have nothing to fear from viruses
(virii?), Trojans or worms. In seven years of personal computing, I have
never been infected by the above - not even once.

Mike Mulligan

"Crysta" <cmg31870@cmsu2.cmsu.edu> wrote in message
news:016c01c36106$0519c9a0$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> Mike-
> You mentioned that clearing the hard drive would take a
> long time, but I don't know what else to do. I previously
> had Norton and that obviously wasn't getting rid of the
> bugs. I installed McAfee 7.0w/firewall the other day. I
> had about 5 viruses and had to start up in safe mode
> through DOS to try to clear them out and got rid of them.
> Each time I have had to do this it takes about 20 minutes
> just to run and I have had to do it about 6 times. I am
> seeing the clearing of the drive as my only other option.
> Any suggestions?
> Crystal
> >-----Original Message-----
> >To start over, you boot from your XP CD and follow the
> directions to install
> >Windows. The first step in the process is to partition
> and format your hard
> >disk. This will permanently wipe out any viruses -- along
> with everything
> >else on your hard disk. As such, it's an extreme option.
> You will have to
> >reinstall, reconfigure and update all your software and
> hardware. Don't even
> >try it until you have made and tested a complete backup
> of everything that
> >is important to you. Be sure to scan your backup media
> for viruses.
> >
> >Given all the time and effort involved, are you sure that
> there isn't some
> >other way to clean those viruses from your hard disk?
> >
> >Mike Mulligan
> >
> >"Crystal" <cmg31870@cmsu2.cmsu.edu> wrote in message
> >news:0f3b01c360e3$06d9de10$a501280a@phx.gbl...
> >> I have had several viruses that I can't seem to get rid
> of
> >> even with the addition of antivirus software. How do I
> >> clear the hard drive and just start over.
> >
> >
> >.
> >

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