Re: How to I Reformat my entire system?

Thanks Shenan for the deep answer to my question. One thing I don't
understand though is: once I have backed up everthing that you recommend and
burned all patches, updates and so-on in preparation for the system
re-install, you say to "clean install". Does this mean that I can delete all
files in Explore? Should I even go beyond that? What about system files and
hidden files? (Apparently my trojan is part of at least two system files).

Thanks Again, Sean

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

Sean wrote:
I have a virus (trojan.zlob) that Norton cannot eliminate or
quarantine. In any case my system was getting kind of bogged down
so I want to know how to back-up Outlook (email, tasks, contacts,
etc.) and then reforamt (or whatever) my harddrive before reloading
my operating system and other programs.

Outlook?
Export all the data to a PST (if it is not) and burn that PST to a CD/DVD or
copy it to external media.
Open up the Outlook help and search for "export" or google for "Backup
Outlook Data".

Don't forget everything else. Pictures, documents, spreadsheets, databases,
internet favorites, installable files you downloaded, installation keys for
making your software work when you reinstall, the latest hardware drivers
for your hardware from the different manufacturers, Service Pack 2 and the
60+ post-SP2 patches so you can come online only after being fully patched,
your favorite antivirus installable and their offline virus definitions
updater, latest patches for all the applications you will be installing,
etc.

Also - use "Belarc Advisor" - if you can find a way to get it to run
(belarc.com) and get a list of all installed software and some of the
installation keys. Otherwise - write all the installation keys down and
make sure you backup any downloaded installables as well.

I might even create a slipstreamed CD - but you could also just get all the
patches and put them on external media from the advice right below..

You likely want Windows XP 32bit SP2 versions of the patch. Some will not
have that option - only "Windows XP" or "Windows XP SP1 or SP2" etc..
Get the one that seems most correct and you likely do not have the 64bit
version. Install in the order given and you should be fine. The first
link, separated out - is the 270+MB SP2 patch.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834707
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873333
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873339
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883939
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885222
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885250
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885626
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885836
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885894
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886677
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886716
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887472
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887742
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887797
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888113
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888240
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888302
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890046
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890047
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890175
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890831
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890859
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890923
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891781
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893066
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893086
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893756
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893803
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894391
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896344
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896358
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896422
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896423
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896424
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896428
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896688
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896727
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898458
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898461
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899587
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899588
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899589
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899591
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900725
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900930
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901017
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901190
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901214
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902400
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903235
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/904706
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905414
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905749
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905915
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908519
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909520
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910437
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911927
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912919
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913446

You can also integrate them into your install media in most cases.

Rather than give you just a little information - I will tell you how to get
the updates, how to integrate them into your own CD, etc.. That way you are
better informed about your options when it comes to the Windows Updates.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

You can download all updates and burn them to CD..

You can download each update manually - based off the KB Article number,
etc. That way you can back it up/burn a CD of them in case you need them or
use them to keep a slipstream/integrated (updated) Windows XP CD.

How to use the Windows Update Catalog
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323166
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)

Windows Update Catalog
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp
(In order to use the Windows Update Catalog, you must use IE to get the
patches..)

Creating an Integrated Installation
http://snipurl.com/el43

Integrate software updates into your Windows installation source files
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828930

Really customize your CD..
http://unattended.msfn.org/

Produce an up-to-date XP Distibution CD
http://xpcreate.com/

AutoPatcher
http://www.autopatcher.com/

AutoStreamer
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

You can see the critical (security and other) patches released for a given
month using the following:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms##-***.mspx

At the end of this line you see "ms##-***.mspx" .. If you simply replace ##
with the two-digit year and the *** with the three character month
abbreviation, you will see the list of "critical" and "important" patches
for that month (since it only happens once a month usually, if you check by
the second Tuesday (wait until afternoon) of each month - you should be
fine) - note that future months will not work.

As an example...

December 2004's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-dec.mspx

March 2005's patches..
None released.. so that one will fail...

May 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-may.mspx

July 2005's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-jul.mspx


Once you get on the page with each month's list of patches.. You can go to
the related KB articles and grab the appropriate files from there.

Then - clean install your system once you are sure you have everything you
need to do the fresh install of everything ready and everything you are
worried about backed up.

- Disconnect from the Internet and any means to connect to the Internet.
- Using my Windows XP CD to boot (like I was doing an installation) - I
would continue through the installation prompts until it asked me which
partition to install on. I would then choose to delete all partitions and
create double the number of partitions I had before. (If I had one, I would
create two, if I had two, I would create four - so on.) Then use the tools
to further format these partitions (FULL NTFS format.) But I would NOT
continue the installation from here... This was merely to erradicate from
normal means of recovery - everything on the hard drive.
- Then again using the Windows XP CD - I would boot from it and continue
through the Installation. When it asked which partition to install on, I
would delete all partitions and create my partition(s).. I
would then format (FULL, not quick) the partitions and finish the
installation.
- Once the installation is completed (assuming my CD did not have SP2 on it)
I would then immediately - before doing anything else - install SP2.
Remember - you are still no where near an internet connecton - you are using
the CD/external media you wrote with the SP2 installation file on it.
- Then I would go through my user accounts and make sure they all have good
passwords. I would rename the administrator account to something TOTALLY
bizzare and make that password particularly difficult - over 14 characters
for sure. guest would be definitely disabled.
- I would also turn off any and all remote desktop/remote assistant
features.
- I would insure the Windows Firewall was on and there was NO exceptions
turned on.
(for now - you can turn off the Windows firewall and install your own
firewall later - but for now - this security is what you need.)
- I would then install the AntiVirus software of choice and update it using
the file I mentioned earlier.
- Then I would go through my list of services and set to manual any that I
do not need/use. I would also do the same for other startups.
- I would also turn OFF Automatic Updates and set the Windows Security
Center not to tell me I have it off.

Now - finally - I would feel secure enough to connect to the Internet
through my properly configured firewall router. It gives my my private IP,
so the machine itself is not publically accessible from the Internet without
reconfiguring the router.

After connected to the Internet, I would visit this site:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
and download/install all updates there EXCEPT hrdware updates.

After (however many reboots the previous step takes) Windows Updates, I
would then install the latest HARDWARE drivers for my system.
Video, Network, Sound, Chipset, etc that I grabbed before.

Then I would follow this advice to keep it running well..

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

Outfitting a new computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/newcomputer.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one trip
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is some places for you poor souls
still stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on
maintaining your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
.

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