Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

The best improvement to a PC's performance, is the removal of VMS. Just saying.

As for a virus/trojan, the only way to be 100% sure that its gone, is a reinstall of the OS from clean sources. However, for most people, Malwarebytes does an excellent job of cleaning a system. I've found the free version of Malwarebytes able to remove stuff that my full, paid-for version of KIS2011 can't.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

Yeah, but the nasty could be anywhere. For instance, if it is in the boot sector a complete reformat and system re-installation won't get rid of it.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

Wrong. Most sophisticated viruses and trojans infect System Restore points too. ;)

In my opinion, remove all the Virgin crap, install Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes Antimalware and you should be good.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

depends on the virus really, the more advanced ones can affect restores, but they only usually affect windows restore, any other backup program seems to work better, and you can put the backup on a disc or usb drive or whatever

---------- Post added at 21:15 ---------- Previous post was at 21:14 ----------

are you saying that the boot sector doesnt get formatted? i dont think so

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

A simple reformat deleting partitions will not get rid of boot sector viruses, especially where folk have hidden boot sectors and the like; the sort that some pre installed versions of Windows have from companies like Dell. Fdisk / mbr followed by a complete reformat will totally wipe a disc.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

Deleting the partitions will remove everything .. as the pre installed windows will be on a partition ..

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

boot sector is just a regular partition, its only hidden by windows

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

Quite true. But if you wanted to go overboard you could perform a low level format back to RAW state and then re-format with either NTFS of FAT32 depending on your windows OS.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

Did you just agree with me ?

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

I think that is what I was recommending, just to be sure. Why just use a belt when you can wear braces as well? Fdisk / MBR then reformat.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

By recommending Fdisk you are also advocating the use of FAT16/FAT32 rather than the more stable NTFS.

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

no, i was agreeing with myself, did you say the same as me? you must have agreed with me!

---------- Post added at 12:27 ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 ----------

dont forget your tinfoil hat

if you can pm me with a link to any virus/trojan/malware/anything that can survive when you format the hard drive, i will load it onto my computer, just to format it to prove you wrong :D

---------- Post added at 12:30 ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 ----------

the only reason FAT should be used over NTFS is if you are using Windows 95/98/Me, which you shouldn't be!

besides the fact that FAT is less secure than NTFS in the first place, you would be using an unsupported operating system, with old software not up to date with providing protection against the latest nasties

NTFS also lets you use file compression, and drive read/write speeds are quicker under NTFS

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

If someone were to create a virus that could not be removed via formatting..

I think he would aim a bit higher than infecting a machine with Virgin Internet Security :dunce:


Nothing is Impossible... Although I doubt it would be your average Virus :p:

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

when a hard drive is formatted, everything is wiped completley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_formatting

Re: Virgin Media Internet Security
 

I wasn't advocating to use of this outdated tech.

It is also worth noting that companies (eg, Hewlett Packard, Dell et al) were supplying XP to home users on a FAT32 platform for a few years.(it will work on it,).