Korean Job Discussion Forums

saint_moi · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:02 am Post subject: Formatting with XP

Im gonna format tonight with XP again. Question is; do I have to format c:/ and use a boot disk and that shlep? I can format from cd right?

The cd's installation menu doesn't have any format options. Do share some format wisdom if u have any Wink

Much obliged.

wylde · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

if it is a windows disk, it should be bootable.

make sure the cmos is set to boot from cd.

not an expert compared to some here but i think that won't be a problem

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

XP is based on the NT programming and therefore you can format as a function of the setup process... pop your cd in, reboot, go into the setup/format process, and have a ball.

I reformatted my old machine so often (most of the time just for kicks), that I could wipe the drive completely clean with an NTFS format and have it back up and running with all the bells and whistles (drivers, MS Office, winamp, AIM, etc.) within an hour.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:12 am Post subject:

It depends on what release of the Windows XP installation CD you have. Some versions actually do not have it, such as an upgrade disk or even some releases of the Manufacturers CD.

It is however a couple steps in, so maybe you didn't go far enough into the process ?? ALL are prior to an irreverisble damage obviously.

Another release of it also was screwy where the option only came up when it found no partition in which to install it ...

Of course the only way to know that is to remove the partition and then run the install .... not a great thing to do unless you know how to recover the parition ...

Try going further until you know you're screwed

Or simply delete your partition, create a new one (or not) and install

Willing to help more if you need it ....

Of course, yes, you need a boot from CD option ..... but I think you realize that ......

saint_moi · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:13 am Post subject:

Boot from cd doesn't format my hard drive. I dunno, should i format c:/ then boot from cd? I'll wait a while n see if anyone has a super duper simple troubleshoot method for me Smile

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

If you're having problems finding the format option in the setup process, you might wanna put off doing this until you have someone with a real strong computer background in the room with you...

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:18 am Post subject:

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Excellent technical point... I formatted my home computer mostly for poops and giggles... but when I was working IT for Northrop Grumman, we had to do some serious disk wiping procedures on the classified drives that were being rebuilt... fortunately, we had this cool machine that you plugged a master drive into and then the other to be wiped clean and it did all the work then made an image of the master drive... though some drives we had to wipe clean, then physically destroy and send the remnants to other places for further death and destruction...

We did also have some fun with taking new drives that were bad and setting them on fire... also a fun past time.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:23 am Post subject:

saint_moi · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:36 am Post subject:

Lonely i gotcha, but i really wanna clean EVERYTHING off. I downloaded a ton of films during Seollal and after that its been running like a 486. My performance manager shows my cpu working at 100% all the time, so somethings up. I still have plenty of space so thats not the prob. Norton doesnt detect any virus's but i had plenty in the recent weeks. VirVirus's or whatever, i dont care, i just wanna clean it all up and start again.

1. make boot disk

2.format c:/ in dos

3.boot with boot disk and change CMOS to boot from cd

4. insert XP cd (not original Laughing

) and install...

right? Embarassed

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Formatting doesn't neccessariyl wipe away a virus... a trojan is still gonna sit there and eat away at your system resources.

You need to do a little more work to have a well run system than just a reformat.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:41 am Post subject:

Could be as simple as some junk running in the background and easily fixed, but let's not bother. Trojans, etc can be running and may in theory be there after you have done so ..... it's hard to say .... but you SHOULD be safe with the process.

It's touchy

I am a regular wipe and install person ... couple times a year

So yes ......

Make the boot disk ... the best one is usually the Win98SE ERD

Boot with disk and format ..... also can remove the parition with FDISK, then make new parition, and format, as it will do automatically .....

Boot now with the CD in the drive with the boot via cd option enabled

CD should boot and you go through the installation process

Should be that easy ...... yea

saint_moi · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:43 am Post subject:

I have Norton 2004 antivirus sware but it doesnt detect any virus's. A week ago it notifed me i had Backdoor.jeem that it couldnt clean.

Fact remains my system is running soooo slowly im happy to format and cleanup n start again.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:47 am Post subject:

Generally I think in a practical sense you should be okay by doing as suggested and just wipe and start over .....

But you may also try, for fun, and again, (my second favorite phrase) purely for academic reasons try the cleaning process for the TROJAN you had/have .......

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/backdoor.jeem.html

...... whatya think you'll do ..... if you want help let us know or contact me via PM if you want some numbers to call if you are offline and need help

saint_moi · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:05 am Post subject:

dude, youre my new personal hero!