Windows upgrade help (Computer help please)

[Wheels]

So the virus that knocked my compy out of comission like 3 weeks ago is nasty and I cant open anything. So I'm thinking of just going with windows 7 and starting from scratch. A couple questions.

I have a 2nd internal hard drive (1 TB) that I can just put all the stuff on it that I want to keep.

Will upgrading to Windows even get rid of the problems with the virus? And Doing a new install wont delete things on the 2nd internal hard drive will it?

Gracias!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

How big is your other hard drive?

 

[Wheels]

My factory Hard Drive is 300 GB I think.

 

[Wheels]

sorry I worded that weird. I mean I have 2 hard drives. 1 300 GB Factory hard drive. And 1 TB Hard Drive so 2 total Hard Drives.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I would make your 1 TB your primary drive and the 300 GB your secondary drive.

Install Windows 7 on the 1 TB drive.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Or buy a new 1 TB drive and just get rid of the 300GB drive.

 

[Wheels]

doing a clean installation though (I assume I would have to do that, that way I wouldnt bring the virus with me) would I risk losing all my files?

 

[Wheels]

also if I'm doing a clean installation would I be able to just get the upgrade version, or do I have to buy the whole deal since I dont wanna bring the virus with me.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

doing a clean installation though (I assume I would have to do that, that way I wouldnt bring the virus with me) would I risk losing all my files?

If the virus is as bad as you say it is I would install Windows 7 on a formatted drive (meaning completely blank) so anything on that drive would be erased after you formatted it.

I would buy a new hard drive, install Windows 7 64bit, get all the updates, install your anti-virus, then plug in your old 300 gb primary hard drive and use the anti-virus program to clean it, transfer the files you want to keep to your new hard drive, unplug the old drive 300 gb primary drive, plug in the old 1 TB drive, clean it with your anti-virus program, transfer the files you just copied on the new drive to the old 1 TB drive.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

also if I'm doing a clean installation would I be able to just get the upgrade version, or do I have to buy the whole deal since I dont wanna bring the virus with me.

If you go the new hard rive route you should be able to get an OEM version of Windows 7 with the HD for cheap.

 

[Wheels]

dang that is way beyond my capabilities lol.

 

[magnifier661]

I hate that fools like to screw up computers like that. It's soooo lame! That is why I own a mac. I may not have every game on the planet; but at least I feel safe knowing there aren't a virus around to destroy my computer.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

dang that is way beyond my capabilities lol.

Nah, it's pretty easy. You installed your 1TB drive yourself right?

 

[Wheels]

I vaguely remember working on it. But its been a couple years now lol.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Try getting the latest update at www.apple.com. Should solve all of your problems.

 

[Wheels]

I dont hate Macs... I do however hate paying triple the cost for stuff lol.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Yeah, I guess that's the price to pay if you don't want to lose your documents with a debilitating virus crash. :MARIS61:

 

[Wheels]

nah I wont lose em, just wanna make sure I do things the right way

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Can you copy your documents, I'd just drag and drop the files. The virus may be in those files though and they could be infected I guess. Then do a clean install. Going to Windows 7 won't do anything different.

 

[Wheels]

I can switch files back and forth from HD to HD no problem. I'm just hoping that the 2nd Hard Drive is basically just storage so when I install the new windows it wont touch the stuff in the 2nd HD. That would make it much easier at least lol. I dont think any files would be in the 2nd HD though cause I usually place stuff on my Factory HD and then transfer over what I want to keep (mainly a crap load of bit torrented shows) but I havent transferred anything since the virus.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

(mainly a crap load of bit torrented shows)

...and this is where you got the virus from....

 

[Wheels]

...and this is where you got the virus from....

yeah I remember the show that was downloading when it kicked in so I deleted all that, and didnt transfer anything over since the virus kicked in. So I think I should be ok with the stuff I already have saved on the 2nd HD no?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

you can never be sure with warez. they hid shit everywhere.

 

[Wheels]

mother f lol

 

[Denny Crane]

Every file on both hard disks is questionable. Running a virus scan on every file on both may not truly find all the infected files.

As soon as you reformat and reinstall from scratch and then move a single file from your old hard disk over, you may well end up in the same situation.

 

[Wheels]

crazy so the virus could jump over into the other HDD without transferring a file over to it? Insane!

 

[Denny Crane]

If the virus is running in memory, it can write to any hard disk you have attached.

If the virus is attached to some files, those files will infect another hard disk if you copy them there.

If the virus is attached to some files, accessing them on one hard disk will make the virus run in memory.

Got it?

But as long as you're doing a fresh install, you may as well move the files and see if you have the virus still. If not, you're good until the next time you get a virus

 

[SlyPokerDog]

crazy so the virus could jump over into the other HDD without transferring a file over to it? Insane!

The virus can get into your microwave, toaster, pets, shower head, pillows, it could be most anywhere.

But I have before installed a new OS on a clean/reformatted drive and then used that drive to clean an infected drive.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Also your wife is probably infecting your computer with the virus so you can't spend all your time on the computer.

 

[Wheels]

lol! actually that might be the case. Although she is the one who has needed the compy more than me lately hehe. Frakkin Cylons though thats crazy what they can do!