Is there a possible virus that requires wiping the system?
Is there a possible virus that requires wiping the system?
As mentioned in the title, there might be a possible virus on my computer, which is tricky to detect, so I decided to completely wipe it out because things have become quite messy over the years.
OS; WD 250gb ssd
main drive: WD hard drive 4tb
nvme; 2tb Samsung 970 evo plus
for the most part, I only have games here, lots of mods, some personal pictures, videos, and so on. Nothing is really going to be completely lost (just the annoying part of having to download EVERYTHING again 😰)
but to be safe, it would be best to completely erase everything (since I don’t know where this virus is).
so my question is, how do I do that exactly?
oh and when I say everything I mean a fresh start.
thanks muddy.
I would use a USB drive that can be used to install Windows. If you don’t have one, you can create one yourself.
Power on using the USB stick from a boot menu.
1. While in Windows 10 setup, press Shift + F10 to launch a Command Prompt.
2. Open the Command Prompt and type diskpart, then press Enter.
3. Type list disk and hit Enter.
A display of all available hard drives will show up. Choose the one you wish to erase. Be cautious and pick the right drive. It’s a good idea to disconnect any non-OS devices beforehand so you don’t choose the wrong one.
For example: select disk 0, then type "clean all" and press Enter.
Malwarebytes is an option if you haven't already attempted it. For a full cleanup, consider wiping all drives.
Additionally, if you choose not to perform a full reset, Windows Defender now features a scan that can block the startup of the computer before everything loads.
1; start from your 250 OS drive
2; employ Diskpart to erase the 2 TB and the 4 TB. Power off afterward.
3; boot from another source, like a Windows installer USB stick
4; use Diskpart to erase the 250 OS drive.
That should function. Choose each drive separately in Diskpart before running the "clean all" command.
Cleaning the larger drives may take several hours. The exact time isn’t certain. "Clean all" is quite time-consuming.
Another effective approach exists...
Utilize a reputable clean PC and download the OS installer. Lift the side panel of the infected machine. Insert the installer and begin the setup. In advanced settings, you can view each disk and its partitions. Apply this setting to release all partitions from each storage drive back to unallocated space. Access the power or SATA connection for each drive, keeping only the OS destination active. Reinsert the installer, repeat the deletion steps, then proceed to the next stage. Doing so ensures a clean installation on the targeted drive while preventing the others from being affected.
To start from a USB drive and execute the 'clean all' command in DiskPart on the OS drive, follow these steps:
1. Insert the USB drive into your computer.
2. Boot from the USB drive using your operating system.
3. Open DiskPart.
4. Select the correct partition for the OS drive.
5. Run the 'clean all' command within DiskPart to remove unnecessary files.
I would use a USB drive that supports installing Windows. If you don’t have one, you can create your own.
Power on using the USB as the boot device by choosing it from the boot options.
While the Windows 10 installation begins, press Shift + F10 to launch a Command Prompt.
In the Command Prompt, type diskpart and hit Enter.
Next, type list disk and press Enter.
A display of all available hard drives will show up. Choose the one you wish to erase. Be cautious to pick the right drive—disconnect any non-OS devices beforehand to avoid mistakes.
For example: select disk 0
Then enter "clean all" and press Enter.
The process may take a long time.
After that, exit diskpart and restart the installation of Windows.