virus help

[dezzzi28]

i seem to have gotten this blaster worm and nothing seems to get rid of it
i have used the fix from symantec and also the stinger and from there i just run into shut down problem so i have formatted 2x and immidiately after the format the virus is there again
when i format do i need to delete the partion and then format the drive ?
everytime i get rid of the thing it just reappears after a format i always though formatting clears your registry to so if it got in there it should be gone? am i wrong here i did recently flash the bios and update it is it possibble it was in there? i am at a total loss please help ty lol
p3 450 brillion 128 mb sdram 256 mb sd ram 15 master drive and 40 slave win xp pro

[OuTpaTienT]

Quote:

Originally posted by dezzzi28
i always though formatting clears your registry to so if it got in there it should be gone?

That statement leads me to beleive your idea of formatting is not what it should be. A format doesn't do anything to a registry, a format wipes a partition clean! No Windows, no registry, no files, no nothing.

How, exactly, are you formatting?

[dezzzi28]

i have started from cd and allow it to load it drivers when it asks to install a fresh copy of xp i say yes and i allow it to format the disc then it proceedes to wipe the disk clean and then copies the files it needs to install the o/s then it goes through the regular set up process
as soon as it finishes i have tried to update right away but then it is there i mean it makes me set up the users and everyting so i am still at a loss i am sure it is formatted????

[Bill in SD, CA]

If the virus is on the MBR formatting is not going to get rid of ot.

Try using the manufacturer's diagnostic disk to write zeroes to the drive or use Killdisk.

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Bill

[dezzzi28]

so you figure if i use kill disk on the drive then formatt it and if it is still there then it is on the mb and i need to deal with that case scenario next?

[Bill in SD, CA]

The 2 options I suggested will clear out the master boot record (MBR) and return the drive to "factory fresh out of the box" condition.

Bill

[dezzzi28]

ty bill seems the only option here glad it is all fresh and no need to back anything up i do appriciate ty
1 question do ya figure i need to do this to me slave drive as well it is new and only used for storage?

[Bill in SD, CA]

If the virus is on the slave drive then that would explain it showing back up after your format.

What I would do is to disconnect the slave first then, after you zero the drive and re-install the OS, insure the virus is gone.

Afterwards reconnect the slave and you will find out if the slave is the culprit.

What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm and Its Variants

Trend Micro Online Virus Scan

Bill

[LeftCoast]

Quote:

Originally posted by OuTpaTienT


...That statement leads me to beleive your idea of formatting is not what it should be. A format doesn't do anything to a registry, a format wipes a partition clean!...

That statement,Out, leads me to beleive your idea of formatting is not what it should be.

A simple format deletes the file system, but leaves the files intact. This is why some viruses/corrupt Win files can and are reinstalled upon the next "fresh" OS install.

Bill is right about using Killdisk. It writes zeros to the drive, which is usually what the term "wiping the hard drive" refers to. Wiping a drive is also the thing to do if you're going to sell your old computer (or HDD), to keep personal info more secure. Your files are still somewhat recoverable after simply writing zeros(you can go overboard with programs that wipe above-and-beyond DoD standards, but it's overkill unless you work for the NSA, IMAO), but it is more difficult. Kinda like putting "The Club" on your steering wheel. It's a deterrent, but no silver bullet...

[OuTpaTienT]

Quote:

Originally posted by LeftCoast

A simple format deletes the file system, but leaves the files intact. This is why some viruses/corrupt Win files can and are reinstalled upon the next "fresh" OS install.

Since when? Where are you getting this information? What exactly does "simple format" mean? Never heard of it. There is "format" and there is "quick format". Both of which delete all files from the partition.

Quote:

When you partition and format a hard disk, all data on that partition is permanently deleted.