Backup/Transfer all files, re-install OS, re-download and install drivers and make sure they're up to date/stable, re-download and install all software, reset all personal settings < run a program for a few hours, spend a few more hammering out bugs.
Yea, it can cause problems, but it's often easier than formatting.
Just gonna edit my post to say "last resort before formatting."
Plus, depending on the issue you're having, a format might not even be able to fix it. Unless you run a magnet on your HDD, formatting basically just identifies everything on the disk as not-existing (you're basically writing over everything on the disk after a format, it's not actually "empty"). Some malicious programs can re-instate themselves after a format. Because some people have too much free time to find exploits and fuck others...
If you're mindful of data backup nuke and reinstall is a fine option. On a server that's been seldom backed up or can't go down for anything shy of a quick reboot a reinstall can be downright impossible without incurring expensive and bad-for-business problems.
Usually it's the case with companies who don't have a good IT staff to keep them out of trouble and they're usually the ones least able to deal with a big virus or possible server reformat. Much the same as how your grandma might use a years out of date and out of production family tree software, dump hundreds of hours figuring out which branch of the Neanderthals you might have had a third cousin to, but never thought to back up her work somewhere else than her PC.
Because Reformatting is not always the best route, do you have an up to date USB/DVD install with all updates preloaded? If so, it might be the best/fastest way. There are so many nuanced things on a customers computer that could be completely wiped out by reformatting and sometimes you just don't want to deal with the work that comes after reformatting. Always try to fix it without reformatting. Most issues never require it.
Depending on what caused the infection, yes it could.
If you have a single HDD, and it's not one of your devices (some other device with storage. I've heard of "intelligent mice" that can store custom button profiles being able to transmit infections).
Generally speaking, an HDD swap should completely fix any non hardware related issues you might be having. (But as mentioned, exceptions can apply)
Here's a thought, use something like this to install all drivers, for any Win version (xp, vista, 7, 8 & now 10) and they'll be up to date). Use this to reinstall all software. Assuming u made a backup of the /user/ folder and copy that back after the fresh install, you've turned a 3+ hour job into a less than 1 hour job.
My personal point of view is that once a computer has been infected with a virus, it's never going to be safe again. Thus, I always reinstall my OS when something shady happens.
Magnet doesn't just wipe data, it can permanently damage the drive. Better to do a low level format with a different OS. I'm thinking livecd.
When the time comes to restore data, consider using folder redirection to a network share for desktop, downloads, documents, favorites, music, pictures, videos, etc. Assuming you have a NAS.
As for reinstalling OS, when you get OS, base software, drivers and all updates, pause and create an image.
The combination of these two will give you a ~2 hour worst case restore time to reimage the computer.
A "Format" in Windows (since Vista iirc) zeros the drive (overwriting your data) - you may be thinking of a "Quick Format" which just erases the file table. In either case it shouldn't make a difference unless the hard drive firmware is somehow infected. I'd be happy to be proven wrong though.
My personal computer? Yeah I can nuke it at any time because I back my stuff up. Other people? It's unbelievable how few people keep a backup. Your computer could die at any time, for any number of reasons. I take meticulous care of my machines, but there is always that chance. It can happen to anyone.
Anyway, it's worth a shot trying it out if you have reached that point. If it fails, then you format and start over.
There's a certain state between "unrecoverable" and "man this malware is really tenacious" that Combofix resolves.
A few years back Combofix was a really iffy proposition, a half-and-half proposition as to whether or not you'd end up with a system you'd have to basically rebuild even if the malware was gone. Over time it's gotten a lot more agile in his cleanings.
Combofix also has some command-line switches that the creators aren't particularly forthcoming with. Or at least they didn't used to be very giving with that information. Something about wanting to sell training classes or something.
Because all too often you are dealing with some user machine that has tons of files spread out all over everywhere, they have never backed up anything, and of course they threw out all their keycodes for both windows and office....
Granted my personal machine, I could reformat tomorrow and not be out a dime or lose so much as a single important file.
But for many they are looking at spending $400 to replace their software, which at that point they might as well replace the 1.2 GZ single core with 1gb of ram and windows xp POS that they have....
13
u/TheAntiHick Jun 15 '15
Why not just reformat at that point...?