Hard drive format

[Feardis]

so im sure this is the wrong thread, but this is pretty much the only one i browse so yeh
ok so i wanna format my hard drive, ive done it before so this is not a "omghowtowipemeevirususahhh"
i was just wondering
a year or so ago i was told of a program that you use while formatting that changes your drive to all zero's 00000 (thus eliminating all residual info, like spyware etc)
the guy who told me was in the military and he said they use them all the time. are there any commercial apps?
also
is it necessary for just a regular format? MrSmith has been poking around inside my matrix, do people use these type of things often?

im in the market for a new antivirus/spyware/firewall also
i use spybot/avgfree but ive just realised i still have alot of spyware.. even tho i do regular checks

any advise would be bonza :P haha
yeh i'd greatly appreciate it
cheers
Imor

[aboron]

Using a program to wipe your drive to all zeros (or zeros, then ones, then zeros again, repeating <n> times...) is mostly a tool for gov't and the highly security conscious to ensure a hard drive contains no sensitive data before disposing of it (as surplus or scrap). If you are just reformatting to use the drive again yourself then save some time and do a quick format, it will get rid of viruses and spyware just as effectively as any other format/wipe. (Just make sure you do the format from a cd rom install disc, so it gets everything on the drive)

I can't recommend any great anti-spyware/anti-virus since the only virus i ever caught was the one i deliberately ran to see what it would do. I make my wife use MS one-care because it came with 3 user licenses and I gave one to my Dad, and the other I run on my work laptop mostly just to monitor the other 2.

[Feardis]

ah ok sweet
yeh AV's are a much of a muchness i guess
thanks for ya help aboron

[Buefurd]

If you reeeeallly want to make sure you get rid of all that spyware for good, take a LARGE magnet (the larger the better) and rub it all over your hard drive.

THEN

Take a LARGE mallet or hammer, and just begin hitting the hard drive with all your might. The more / harder you hit it, the better the chances that spyware will NOT be back to harm you again!

Just to make extra sure, you might want to get that magnet back out and give it another good once over. :thumbsup:

err..do you want to use it again?

Ah ok just do what he said ^

[Yamio]

I knew a guy at one place where I worked who was always tweaking and messing up his system. About every other week, (sometimes every week), he'd mess up and ask for a low level format "Cause that's what I do at the house! There's nothing better!" he'd tell us. We'd say okay and just slam his laptop, but we'd keep it for a day or two to make him think we did that low level format, just like we had promised. ^^

Just what Aboron said; that kind of format is not needed by normal folks unless you're really worried about what's been on your drive AND you're getting rid of it. You been doing any 007 shit that we need to know about?

Everybody has different suggestions and mine is; when I run into a badly infected system, I run every virus/malware remover I can find; Ewido, AVG, Spy-bot, Ad-Aware, CounterSpy, Spy Sweeper, and Trend Micro Scan one after another. Some will catch stuff, but not be able to clean it all out. You'll be surprised by what each finds that the others missed.

And there isn't one (that I've found) that'll detect and clean everything.

Buddy Builder viruses used to give me nightmares. Just about the time you think you've cleared it all out, here it comes back again.

[daviddoran]

Government Wipe.

http://www.dban.org/

Free. Have at it. Personally I think its overkill.

If you reeeeallly want to make sure you get rid of all that spyware for good, take a LARGE magnet (the larger the better) and rub it all over your hard drive.

FYI - this is called degassing. This will RUIN the HDD, not just erase it. It'll be nothing more than a doorstop after you're done.

I think that was his point, hence he part about the hammer...

[Starbuck_Jones]

In my opinion anti-virus and spyware removal tools are all frauds and nothing more than scareware. A properly updated OS and internet browser along with User Account Controls (vista) will prevent 99.9% of all spyware and viruses. And for gods sake, stay away from java and use web mail.

[Buefurd]

Yeah I know it destroys it...lol :P

[Feardis]

yeh i know that destroys it, i was going to have a go at him for insulting me but i knew it was a joke
thanks for the link fur
i'll check it out

[Feardis]

how can one stay away from java when its all over the place?