If your system got infected, would you reformat?

[Nicholas P.]

Since I would have been infected once what will make sure that I won't get infected again?

I would rather prefer to find a way to clean my computer rather than to reformat it.

edit: My computer only. I wont spend hours and days for somebody else's. I know it sounds selfish but I avoid on purpose being responsible for others people computers.

[MikeChipshop Member]

I quite often do reformat anyway... although i really haven't felt the need to with Vista/7

[Jediweasel]

Since I keep all my data separate from my PC, and I run a monthly Ghost image of it, I would format it re-image it from the last backup.

[nub]

It depends on the infection, but probably yeah.

[Sikh]

If you got infected with malware, would you reformat.

Let's say, for instance, that your machine for whatever reason got infected with malware. Doesn't really matter which malware, just that it got infected, which required a ton of different scans to get rid of it. Now assuming you don't already have a system image saved on an external or internal drive what would you do? Would you keep using the computer as was after the malware had been removed or would you reformat your machine just to be safe.

The reason for this poll, is for all the computer repair technicians that tell me that they don't feel its necessary to reformat a customer's computer after its been infected with malware. I say, treat a customers computer as you would treat your own.

Yesterday I came across a computer that was infected with that root-kit that prevented windows from booting up after installing the latest updates. The only thing she used the computer for was browsing the internet and "Paying bills online".

Now I could have sat there for 3 hours running scan after scan after scan after scan after scan. 3 hours later I would have finished but I would never have felt right letting her use that computer entering in personal information . So I reformatted. Had the system reformatted, with all the latest updates, IE 8 and Firefox with all the latest drivers in 1.2 hours. This particular customer didn't have anything she wanted backed up. But if they did I would have booted off a BartPE cd and back it up to an external hard drive then scan it. MOST people save all of their stuff inside the my documents folder. Some have Quickbooks, money and quicken.

Most people are capable of reinstalling all of their application once the OS is in a usable state. People may say, "You don't re install all of their applications for them?". I install enough to get them on their feet, I see no reason to suck the clock and bill the customer for something they are fully capable doing themselves. I also install gotoassist express, so If on the off chance they need help after I leave, they open gotoassit and I reconnect with them and help them with their issue. if its a quickfix this is usually done so at no charge.

I consider a reformat a far more cost effective, and secure way of malware removal.

You dont know how much respect ive gained for you as a Tech. I HATE techs that skimp on ****. I mean seriously? Ive been working with computers since i was 12, and ever since ive always treated everyone elses computer like mine. At the age of 15 I started fixing computers because i have already been through the issues, start the summer of 08, I worked on a total of 68 computers. They were college kids, building computers, laptops, family friends, etc. I dont charge anyone as I am not certified and dont feel the need to charge, all these people will make good references thou.

Regardless, everytime i get a call and its "my computer locked up or etc", ill go over and I usually bring my 160gb External, WhipeDrive, BartPE/Ubuntu and Ultimate Boot CD. I also have free antivirus like AVG or Comodo + Teamviewer/OpenVNC.

Now, in this situation I would do exactly like you do, instead of scanning for 3 hours and wasting your time, there time and Charging them, Ill do what feels right to me and that is inform them that they have had a virus, and that I can sit here and remove it, or just copy there stufff, reformat and put a new installation up which will take less time and get them up faster and safer. Then I would also install all the windows updates, set a good schedule(not 3am at night, lol but like 5pm in daytime) for windows update, Install Firefox or Opera, let them try it out. Explain WHY having another browser is usually safer then IE. After all this, have them go around change there passwords that they used last before getting infected(or while infected technically).

After the work, I usually go through and make sure they know some safety precautions(dont download things you dont know, dont trust EVERY EMAIL, run a scan every week, etc) and go on my merry way.

Only 2 times last summer was i ever called back because 1 was a blue screen(damn laptop chipset drivers) and the dvd drive inside the desktop wasnt being read. Other then that, if/when i start charging people, ill do it right, I hate techs that rob people 5 hours of money and only do 2 hours of work technically.

Besides that, im always working on someones computer, summers the busiest time but every month i get a few calls. Actually my bosses laptop just got a virus but he had norton(lol) as antivirus. This being his college laptop its about 5 years old, so pretty old yet still updated copy of norton. On top of that yesterday his desktop sound card blew. So I cleaned his laptop and gave him fresh copy of 7 to play with and installed comodo. For the desktop, i did neccessary tests like make sure speakers work, reconnect sound card, etc. It was a pci sound card so I knew it wasnt his motherboard. After realizing its the sound card, just to make sure, i went home, grabbed a spare I had, put it in, it worked and then done. Gave my boss the option of buying a sound card or keeping the one i put in there, it was low profile but it fit good enough. Also he had no on board audio o_0. I mean his desktop is older then his laptop but yeah, whatever works i guess.

[laq3]

Yeah, I would reformat. Too much trouble for me to get rid of the virus. Reinstalling programs is a pain, but I can deal with that.

[revvo]

It really depends how ugly the virus/trojan/etc. is, but for those infections that require multiple scans and reboots because at every reboot it seems like it revives itself, I don't waste any time.

The last time my PC was infected, I immediately unplugged my network cable and used several programs to scan and remove the viruses. After about 5 times reboots, it seemed like the viruses were gone, no odd programs running in the processes list. I still felt like I didn't trust it (weird files "sleeping" in the windows directories), so I formatted and reinstalled.

Next time, with an ugly virus, I wont even bother, just backup and format.

[carmatic]

What if the drive isnt partitioned and they have data all over it, youve then gotta scan it all and transfer it back and forth anyway;??got to make sure you pull the product serials before formatting as you cant rely on customers to know where their install discs are (laptops being the worse for faded oem stickers, but also office etc if it was on there before hand); getting drivers for older laptops XP and even vista based ones can be painful and more often than not the original discs are buried in some box somewhere the client doesnt know where is; clients generally like their systems to come back to them as they were sans the infection and depending on what apps they have installed is another reason it can just be easier to clean it and keep the customer happy.

i gotta agree with that...

the worst case scenario is if you format the computer and the customer thinks that you've let the virus wipe everything on their computer

[Hephestos]

I consider a reformat a far more COST effective, and secure way of malware removal.

it's all about cost for the customer. if the 3-4 hours needed for a complete clean-up will cost him 200-250 Euros then it's up to him...

if you can clean a customer's Pc within an hour then cleanup is the most effective.

for me....

even if i clean a virus i am a bit paranoid so i reformat anyway.....

[Sulphy]

Oh yes.... format and re-install!!!!

[Tha Bloo Monkee]

It really depends how ugly the virus/trojan/etc. is, but for those infections that require multiple scans and reboots because at every reboot it seems like it revives itself, I don't waste any time.

That's how I feel. I used to not mind reformatting and used to do it quite often, I find it a P.I.T.A. now... having to reinstall everything etc. And I just don't like doing it like I used to.

[mak123]

i try my level best.

very confident while at time of infection.

but virus is not possible for my lap because i am use KASPERSKY.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Didn't have protection on this "spare" laptop that i have and I have a friend over using it. All she does is myspace and facebook and all of those things. Today i go noticing that there's some malware on the thing, Security Tool. I was like, wow.. i always knew myspace was full of junk but seriously? That fast to get infected?

Anyways, couldn't install anything on it as it kills EXEs right away. Oddly enough the easiest solution was to just create another admin account and install it over there. Scanned and removed it no problem to the point where i'm actually confident it's completely gone. I'm not gonna reformat that system but only cuz it's a spare, if it were my main machine i def would be formatting. LOL

[vincent]

clean myself, then format if still infected.

[The Rev]

I voted no, but to be honest, it really depends on the type and severity of the compromise.... If it's a well known virus/trojan/whatever that has been around long enough to have well developed cleaning tools and has a MS patch to close the hole if one exists, I'd say formatting is unnecessary.... That being said, my computer hardly EVER gets the the point where I have to consider reformatting. However, I have run into some people's systems that are such a ginormous mess that its a lot easier to just reformat than to bother trying to clean it up... For me, if the infection bogs the system down so much that it would be more time-effective to just reformat and reinstall windows, I would tend to choose that option.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

To format a computer is always a sense of failure to me. I would much prefer to fix the problem and keep going.

I don't run into virus/malware problems myself but I clean them up on other computers that I come across.