Reformatting C: Drive and starting with a clean HDD

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

I am working on a friends PC. It's a reasonably new Dell Dimension, P4, 2Ghz
256Mb RAM, 80Gb HDD.

Somewhere she's picked up a virus AND is getting loads of pop-ups. Norton
AV is picking up some of them but not all. Plus the PC is running painfully
slow.

In the past (Win 95/ME) I've simply burned any documents/photos onto CD,
gone to the DOS prompt and reformatted the C:drive. This has removed
everything (virus included) and allowed me to reload the programs etc. and
return to normality.

I've tried to do this in XP Home but can't get a DOS prompt. I also
reloaded XP but all programs and the Virus is still there.

Any help would be greatfully appreciated !!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

How did you "reload" xp,was it thru repair in the xp cd.Youre best bet to
format/reinstall is to boot to xp cd,at info screen select,install xp,new
copy,delete the partition,create one,then xp formats and reinstalls auto.
One other suggestion,256mb of ram is border-line for xp,512 is the recomm-
ended amount or above.Also,to rid of most pop-ups,turn on firewall in xp,
then open internet options,security tab,click on an icon,then set to default,
do this to all that show.

"tnphayes" wrote:

> I am working on a friends PC. It's a reasonably new Dell Dimension, P4, 2Ghz
> 256Mb RAM, 80Gb HDD.
>
> Somewhere she's picked up a virus AND is getting loads of pop-ups. Norton
> AV is picking up some of them but not all. Plus the PC is running painfully
> slow.
>
> In the past (Win 95/ME) I've simply burned any documents/photos onto CD,
> gone to the DOS prompt and reformatted the C:drive. This has removed
> everything (virus included) and allowed me to reload the programs etc. and
> return to normality.
>
> I've tried to do this in XP Home but can't get a DOS prompt. I also
> reloaded XP but all programs and the Virus is still there.
>
> Any help would be greatfully appreciated !!
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

It worked like a charm!! Many thanks

"tnphayes" wrote:

> I am working on a friends PC. It's a reasonably new Dell Dimension, P4, 2Ghz
> 256Mb RAM, 80Gb HDD.
>
> Somewhere she's picked up a virus AND is getting loads of pop-ups. Norton
> AV is picking up some of them but not all. Plus the PC is running painfully
> slow.
>
> In the past (Win 95/ME) I've simply burned any documents/photos onto CD,
> gone to the DOS prompt and reformatted the C:drive. This has removed
> everything (virus included) and allowed me to reload the programs etc. and
> return to normality.
>
> I've tried to do this in XP Home but can't get a DOS prompt. I also
> reloaded XP but all programs and the Virus is still there.
>
> Any help would be greatfully appreciated !!
>
>