Help! 1500 Vostro with 122 spyware infections!

Should I try to remove them via anti spyware/viral software -


Or can I use the CD that came with the laptop? If so I have the OS CD.. but will it allow me to COMPLETELY WIPE the hard drive and reinstall everything from factory settings?

Or do I have to format manually? I think it will be better if I wipe it all - but will the Dell OS CD do that for me? Thanks.

 

i think you should wipe it all too. there are many threads on instructions for this. if you don't care about media direct or the dell recovery partition, i would just erase them.

yes, the dell OS cd will do this. boot with it, use it to erase all of the partitions, then reformat. hell, format it twice if you want. presto- c: is your only partition. install the OS, go to dell and download drivers and enjoy.

note- use this only if you are familiar with an OS install. you will, of course, lose a bunch of the bloatware that dell puts on your computer doing this. but it will run better- both from the reinstall (lack of dell bloatware) and the lack of sypware.

beware also that sypware detection programs can have false positives. i don't know about 122 false positives, though. lol! also- make sure you get all your files off the thing if you decide to reformat because you will lose EVERYTHING on the drive.

good luck whatever you decide to do.
after the install, should you choose to do it, you should use antivirus/firewall/antispyware programs to avoid this problem again. man. you must love porn. but doesn't everybody? lol!



some good free antivirus programs are;
avast
AVG

i use zonealarm for a firewall

i use spybot search and destroy and ad-aware for antisypware

search for these things and you will find many threads discussing the benefits/shortcomings of all the various software out there.

word.

 

how do i erase all of the partitions then reformat?

 

There will be an option when you start the XP installation process. It will show all of your drive's partitions and options to delete partitions, create partitions and install XP on a partition.

 

can i do that at bootup or do i have to start the install process from within windows

 

Says:


152626 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR}

Unpartitioned Space 86MB
C: Partition1 [NTFS] 149974 MB
Unpartitioned space 2565 MB

Won't let me delete partition C, and when I try to create a new partition, it says that it cant because temporary setup files are in use.

 

i think you have to continue with the install, then it will ask you where you want to create a new partion, you should be able to delete it there, that is what i did with xp pro

 

k its reformatting now ty

ps - porn is bad. ive been caught red handed