HDD replacement - Advice Please :)

[billybilo 10]

Hi Everyone,

 

My main PC has been completely over run by virus's. I have taken it to get it sorted but the problem came back within a week. So I want to put a new HDD in and start a fresh. I've bought the drive - 500Gb Western digital 16mb cache 72000 caviar blue. (it had lots of good reviews and was cheap!).

 

I have also bought an XP disk (neex xp for some picky hardware).

 

I gather I just swap the drives and pop in the boot disc - i think I can sort that ok. But what im worried about is will my hardware all be correctly configured etc? What do I need to bare in mind/do to make it all run smoothly?

 

Also, what's the best way of getting my files from the old HDD without infecting the new one?

 

Any tips or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks

[swarfendor437 14]

Hi Everyone,

 

My main PC has been completely over run by virus's. I have taken it to get it sorted but the problem came back within a week. So I want to put a new HDD in and start a fresh. I've bought the drive - 500Gb Western digital 16mb cache 72000 caviar blue. (it had lots of good reviews and was cheap!).

 

I have also bought an XP disk (neex xp for some picky hardware).

 

I gather I just swap the drives and pop in the boot disc - i think I can sort that ok. But what im worried about is will my hardware all be correctly configured etc? What do I need to bare in mind/do to make it all run smoothly?

 

Also, what's the best way of getting my files from the old HDD without infecting the new one?

 

Any tips or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks

 

1. Change the jumper setting on the old drive to 'Slave' there should be some diagram on the label or 'etched' on the back edge of your old drive, or it might be a case of just removing the jumper altogether but check.

 

2. Install the OS to your new hard drive.

 

3. XP will pick up most drivers unless you have some peculiar peripherals - you will need your graphics drivers to hand (assuming not on-board graphics)

and if machine built by yourself ensure you have the motherboard drivers disc to hand as you should install these first, then graphics, then sound.

 

4. Be sure to install Antivirus software - free ones include Comodo Internet Security - and anti-malware software such as Malwarebytes (free version) and SUPER-antispyware (also free version).

 

5. Download a GNU/Linux disc such as PCLinuxOS KDE 2010.2 and burn the .iso to CD using imgburn - but before you do check the *.iso images md5 checksum by using WinMD5free.

 

6. Shut down the computer, install your original drive as a slave on the same ide cable as your new one - if Sata put the drive on Sata2 connector.

 

7. Boot into BIOS to change Boot Order so that you can boot from CD first - you may have an Fxx button assigned to do a 'one-off' boot menu and select CD with your PCLinuxOS CD in - you should have a secondary CD/DVD rom burner to burn your data to

 

8. Once PC Linux has booted and you have logged in, press Alt+ F2 and type in K3b to launch the burner - you may have to 'mount' the slave drive to access the files - open 'Computer' and double click on the icon for the slave drive.

 

9. Whilst K3b is open, open Documents and Settings on the slave drive and drag and drop into the K3b window (after you have selected the project you want to start with (Data Project being the best option).

 

10. Once you have the data you want, select burn.

[Gluggy 10]

Bit puzzled as to why you feel the need to physically replace the drive? I'd have guessed one the many "secure erase" type programs would nuke the disc enough times to be certain it really is blank with nothing "nasty" left behind.

Personly I'd be looking at known exploits and checking for updates on whatever OS / applications your using as that's a far more likely explanation for getting reinfected.

[swarfendor437 14]

Bit puzzled as to why you feel the need to physically replace the drive? I'd have guessed one the many "secure erase" type programs would nuke the disc enough times to be certain it really is blank with nothing "nasty" left behind.

Personly I'd be looking at known exploits and checking for updates on whatever OS / applications your using as that's a far more likely explanation for getting reinfected.

 

I'd agree with that but he wants to get some data off.

[Gluggy 10]

I'd agree with that but he wants to get some data off.

 

Fair point, guess the OP could do the last few steps you've mentioned and dump the data on a DVD or memory and then do the wipe but each to to their own - besides one can never have too much storage lol

 

On the flip side if its down to a software vulnerability then changing the drive wont make any difference as the route of infection would still be there only this time the new drive would cop it.