How often do you have to reformat a computer due to spyware?

[Nocturnal]

Say you are working on a computer that is basically crippled from spyware. Have you been able to use various tools to get the computer back to normal or do you just say the hell with it and format the hard drive?

Do you guys consider AVAST anti-virus really good to use? I had a few virues that infected the svchost.exe file and I couldn't get it cleaned with anything and I was very afraid to just delete the file altogether. I was wondering if you could just copy the file from the Windows install cd and copy it back to the hard drive Windows\System32 dir?

Also would you install MS's Anti-Spyware program onto a CUSTOMER's computer even though it's in its beta stages?

If someone could point me to a FAQ with a list of all programs to combat spyware I'd be very greatful.

Also, I'm not too confident about messing around with registry as I really dont' want to hose someone's entire computer setup.

 

[Rainsford]

One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

 

[Ausm]

I reinstall every 3-4 months when I get new parts.

Ausm

 

[cjgallen]

I've saved tons of systems with nothing more than Adaware, AVG Antivirus, and a little bit of Regedit.

 

[intogamer]

like 3 times

 

[kami333]

If it's on someone else's computer and just running MS Antispy, Adaware, and Spybot can't fix it and they have a recovery disk handy, every time. I have better things to do with my time rather than spending an hour trying to track down some spyware, booting into safe mode/looking through the registry, etc, would rather just back everything up and just do it from scratch.

 

[Mucho]

I reformat about every six months or wenever my box seem to take longer to boot.

 

[jfall]

I run Linux

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

what tools do you use to clean once you have a CD rom based windows?

 

[Armitage]

Never
Get a real OS

 

[Bassyhead]

never had to reformat

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Armitage
Never
Get a real OS

Getting a different OS is not a substitute for learning how to USE your OS. I use Windows and don't get spyware or viruses or adware or anything else.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Rainsford
One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

what tools do you use to clean once you have a CD rom based windows?

Adaware and command line McAfee. Both free and both easy to add to BartPE.

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Rainsford
One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

what tools do you use to clean once you have a CD rom based windows?

I was curious on that myself, how does the tool know to scan the target OS registry and not the 'booted' registry? etc...

I've got the files on my drive in prep to build the cd, just haven't gotten a round-toit yet.

 

[trmiv]

My parent's computer was on life support from so much spyware and virus's. I managed to get it useful again with a combo of Microsoft Antispyware, Adaware, Spybot, as well as manual deletions of files and registry keys. I really wanted to avoid a format/reinstall because it would have taken too long to get their computer back to the way they are used to. I swear, parent's are like Rainman when it comes to computers. You change one thing and they freak. "Yea, definitely can't access the Internet, yea."

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

time to google.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Armitage
Never
Get a real OS

Getting a different OS is not a substitute for learning how to USE your OS. I use Windows and don't get spyware or viruses or adware or anything else.

Well, you can continue to use windows and have to constantly keep up to date with the latest patches, be careful how & where you surf, install various 3rd party tools to help secure your system and prevent infection. keep up with the latest tools & techniques to clean up your system.

Or you could get a real OS and just never even think about it. I mean, I still update as they are published, but beyond that, it's a complete non-issue.

 

[brigden]

What are you morons doing to your systems that require constant refomatting? Mine is clean as a whistle. A little maintenance is all that's needed.

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: cjgallen
I've saved tons of systems with nothing more than Adaware, AVG Antivirus, and a little bit of Regedit.

:thumbsup:

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Rainsford
One word, BartPE. Never had a system yet I couldn't clean with that thing.

what tools do you use to clean once you have a CD rom based windows?

Adaware and command line McAfee. Both free and both easy to add to BartPE.

I find that this is a good way to start.

I follow up with AVG and spybot along with cleaning the registry and deleting all temp files. It doesn't hurt to try and use some of the uninstallers in add/remove programs before all this. It'll never clean them all but it does a good job starting things.

I have cleaned countless PC's of spyware/viruses and there has been only one that I had to reformat because I couldn't clean it. It had some variant of VX2 that was very nasty.

 

[Vic]

I've never had to reformat any of my own rigs because of viruses or spyware (I have for some friends and family but IMO that was always operator error).

The Windows 2000 Pro install on my main rig will be 3 years old in July. Take that, Linux fanbois!

 

[Looney]

Never met a system that i couldn't clean. Google, bazooka, and Hijackthis are valuable tools.

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: Mucho
I reformat about every six months or wenever my box seem to take longer to boot.

I reinstall every 3-4 months when I get new parts

What do you do when your windows activation fails from reinstalling so many times?

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Armitage
Never
Get a real OS

yeah WTF. Only idiots format stuff because they loaded garbage on their pc. Learn how to administer yo' sh!t and you wont have problems. Or get a Mac if you can't use windows :roll:

<- had the same windows install since 2001ish

 

[amdskip]

Never on my own systems.

I do spyware removal on a daily basis for 2 dorms and 1 is a wireless dorm which generally sucks. I would consider myself on the advanced end of spyware removal. I'm pretty good at it after doing 500+ tickets in a year. Formatting is not something we do though and there has only been a couple computers I could not fix.