Re: hard drive problem


"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%2392bgpesGHA.4596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Brad wrote:

Thanks Ken


You're welcome. Glad to help.


Im always happy to learn the best known methods and always welcome
correction.

Formatting vs writing all zeros?

I thought, I assume, Im guessing formatting only writes to some block
on the disk, something thats equal to the start of a sector or
something saying the data is "erased"? But formatting doesnt, Im
guessing, actually go to each and every last bit to write something?
does it?






No. But doing that is entirely unnecessary. The only time you might want
to do that is when discarding or giving away a computer--to make it less
likely that someone can access your old data.




Ok but I meant could there be virus fragments in these zones of untouched
disk space? open term, malware, spyware, whatever; Im too concerned
about ABSOLUTE virus/malware eradication, it takes longer but no doubt must
remain. I think some offices will take such a disk and shred it because
there could be some change to disk internals or bios?


If format actually changed every bit on the disk, wouldnt it take much
longer to complete?


Yes.


so what Im worried about, total guess and speculation on my part, is
that small enough sized code snippets could be scattered on a disk,
written all over the place so even with losing the partition and
format, that physical data would remain?


Yes, but it doesn't matter. The only data that matters is that which can
be accessed via the drive's directory structure. With that gone (which the
format does), everything on the data is logically (even if not physically)
gone. Then when you reinstall Windows and start wring to the drive, it
will soon be physically gone also.


but if the partition is destroyed, the disk formatted, then that absolutely
prevents a file system from seeing any files at all, period. so windows or
dos files couldnt "see" something out of the FS... but what is really still
there? inquiring minds want to know. I want to know.




it wouldnt be mapped on any file system but wouldnt it be at the same
physical address the disk itself uses in the IDE interface?



Yes, but again, it doesn't matter.


so isnt it that only data fragments could be left on a disk thats been
formatted?


Yes.


and youre right, the questions should have had some test first, is it
this? if so then format it


Sorry, I don't understand this.

my post was not well set as a formal test procedure, that costs extra. it
was generalized, I mean I should have asked them to check or test if a
condition was present then take some action




I thought Microsoft sought to turn messenger service off as part of
some security fix thing?


Messenger Service can often be useful. For example you can use it to send
messages from one computer on the network to another; I use it for that
all the time. It's not a security risk in itself, although some malware
can use to display popup messages. But as I said, the better solution to
that problem is installing a firewall which will prevent those popups, not
turniong off Messenger Service.


Right, totally agree. but home users? Ive never used it like this and just
thought some security bulletin told the home user to turn it OFF unless they
knew they needed to use it. its not a security threat, just annoying.




--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OVxFiwasGHA.4752@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Brad wrote:

So the sequence was:
1. installed new disk drive
2. months later got a virus
3. was wiped? reformatted? wiping means exactly what? running the
write all 0's to all locations utility? takes many hours?
4. Windows was re installed?
4a which anti virus, anti spyware were installed BEFORE ever going
online? 5. message from messenger service saying get some program?
did you
go to their website and download something? which website/product
name? maybe this was a trick to upload virus malware to your
computer? 6. registry fix? what does this mean?
7. now when you reboot, the operating system is not found? what
exact message appears?
8. install old disk, the new disk as slave appears fine


thats good, what probably happened is your windows install was
zapped, most newer computers will look for a bootable resource and
boot it up, since you didnt say you changed bios settings sounds
like windows itself got corrupted.

steps now are save anything on that new disk, send them to the old
disk that runs windows

do a full wipe, all zeros,


Although it doesn't hurt to do " full wipe, all zeros," it's entirely
unnecessary and a waste of time. For all practical purposes, just
formatting will accomplish the same thing.

And I wouldn't be so quick to reformat and reinstall. It isn't at all
clear what his problem is, and there may well be a less draconian
solution. You ask good questions in 5, 6, and 7, above. Making
recommendations as to how to proceed before seeing the answers to
those questions is premature.


format, install windows, install
antivirus, etc
set your system not to allow messenger service,


If he was getting Messenger Service popups, it was because he was
running without a firewall. There's no reason to turn off Messenger
Service, and in fact it has provided the warning that he was running
without firewall protection.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


it helps to load as
much as possible from cd rom before connecting online, set internet
explorer to high security



"jenn" <jenn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:382372EB-447F-497E-9733-A0348B46ED29@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
about 6 months ago i installed a new hard drive 160g maxtor,it
worked fine then it was attacked by a virus of some description and
it was wiped and reformatted,in doing so it developed a pop up from
messenger service advising
me to get a regedit/program.these pop ups were happening every
minute or so.i
did a regestry fix however it is not recognised on reboot.the
strange thing
is it can be recognised as a slave when replaced with my old hard
drive. any help would be appreciated
thank you




.

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