TechRepublic : A ZDNet Tech Community

Report as spam Discussion  -  Post 74 of 84
Wiping to solve infections....Geek Squad Perspective
Hello,

I work for a local Geek Squad out here in NJ and it is the very rare exception for us to follow through on a service we offer called "an OS Service, Virus and Spyware Removal". This service offers up the removal of infectious items by using multiple scanning programs, registry editing, and what ever else we need to. If a machine is so infected that we are having to resort to registry editing or other drastic measures to get out resistant infections then we usually don't waste our time and call the customer and tell them their machine is unsalvagable that they need to consider our back up service and go with a full format and reinstall. We wind up doing that more than the scanning and removal. If we do the scanning and removal it includes a reinstallation of the OS on top of itself to replace the old possibly damaged files.

So, yes, formatting and reinstallation is more common than you'd think. Lot's of people out there without the patience to learn about correct & responsible computer management that wind up paying for it in the end is how computer repair people make their money hand over fist.

Sincerely,
AlisaK2000
Posted: 04/10/2006 @ 05:26 AM (PDT)
avatar
AlisaK2000@...
Job Role: IT Consultant
Location: Lodi, New Jersey
Member since: 01/14/2006

View Profile  | Send Message

Print/View all Posts | Subscribe to this Thread 

Read original item: Wiping an infected computer is best for any OS
there's a Question on this???dawgit | 04/05/2006 @ 05:14 AM (PDT)
Yeah, it's common sense but it's not commongeorgeou | 04/05/2006 @ 03:04 PM (PDT)
Correctdawgit | 04/05/2006 @ 03:43 PM (PDT)
Common sense but..dbrown486@... | 04/06/2006 @ 12:44 AM (PDT)
you can hardly blame themshraven | 04/06/2006 @ 06:17 AM (PDT)
just as true when you're cleaning up a friend's systemA_Selby | 04/18/2006 @ 09:37 AM (PDT)
Gee, I wonder why ;-)georgeou | 04/06/2006 @ 03:52 PM (PDT)
...because the customer is paying?vicki.laidlaw@... | 04/07/2006 @ 01:41 PM (PDT)
Give the Customer what they wantdseedorf@... | 04/07/2006 @ 04:09 PM (PDT)
We are not there to cover incompetencekevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:36 AM (PDT)
I used to work for Best Buy about ten years agonighthawk808 | 04/09/2006 @ 05:35 AM (PDT)
Geek or money grabber?kevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 07:10 AM (PDT)
out of place responseapotheon | 04/10/2006 @ 01:46 AM (PDT)
What about Outlook Expresspmshah@... | 04/19/2006 @ 08:43 PM (PDT)
Yes you can do this, but it's tricky and hiddengeorgeou | 04/21/2006 @ 11:04 PM (PDT)
That's the best we can do?ds4211a@... | 04/06/2006 @ 04:56 AM (PDT)
Why I like linuxmazinoz | 04/06/2006 @ 02:42 PM (PDT)
you can in Windows as wellkevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:39 AM (PDT)
Stupid Linux geeks.nighthawk808 | 04/09/2006 @ 05:24 AM (PDT)
Maybe you dont know as much as you think..........kevaburg@... | 04/10/2006 @ 12:04 AM (PDT)
Apples and Lear jets.apotheon | 04/10/2006 @ 01:25 AM (PDT)
diskimagesbaby.linux@... | 04/10/2006 @ 02:28 AM (PDT)
to: baby.linuxapotheon | 04/10/2006 @ 08:01 PM (PDT)
Easy, nighthawk808A_Selby | 04/18/2006 @ 09:58 AM (PDT)
That what it is needed in WindowsAnother Canadian | 04/10/2006 @ 08:15 AM (PDT)
To think...cness@... | 04/11/2006 @ 07:53 AM (PDT)
Same applies to Linuxgeorgeou | 04/06/2006 @ 03:55 PM (PDT)
Poor analogiesdave.leigh@... | 04/09/2006 @ 09:07 AM (PDT)
sortaapotheon | 04/10/2006 @ 01:32 AM (PDT)
No its more likemjwx | 04/11/2006 @ 12:37 AM (PDT)
Not if the profile is stored in a different partitiongeorgeou | 04/11/2006 @ 09:49 AM (PDT)
or on a completely different machine.mjwx | 04/12/2006 @ 11:21 PM (PDT)
The best we can do?michael_orton@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:54 AM (PDT)
The best we can do?michael_orton@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:54 AM (PDT)
One partition MS policySteve Jones | 04/06/2006 @ 05:49 AM (PDT)
Its an unaddressed problemRknRlKid | 04/06/2006 @ 07:19 AM (PDT)
What am I missing???cness@... | 04/07/2006 @ 08:34 AM (PDT)
Simple Solution...just a little more money.marketingtutor. | 04/08/2006 @ 02:19 AM (PDT)
Disable the third disk?pmshah@... | 04/19/2006 @ 08:14 PM (PDT)
Infecting the 5%nighthawk808 | 04/09/2006 @ 05:46 AM (PDT)
It is market share...cness@... | 04/18/2006 @ 11:20 AM (PDT)
Well, that was (un)productive.apotheon | 04/18/2006 @ 01:27 PM (PDT)
You did miss the original pointRknRlKid | 04/10/2006 @ 07:39 AM (PDT)
Saving data from an OS formatAlisaK2000@... | 04/10/2006 @ 08:26 PM (PDT)
How do you do it?pmshah@... | 04/19/2006 @ 08:31 PM (PDT)
I disagreekevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:43 AM (PDT)
Did you read the blog???georgeou | 04/08/2006 @ 07:16 PM (PDT)
Fair enough............kevaburg@... | 04/10/2006 @ 12:18 AM (PDT)
and another thing:apotheon | 04/10/2006 @ 08:06 PM (PDT)
Even if You've Backed Up !mgrimm@... | 04/06/2006 @ 06:30 AM (PDT)
No, maybe, then yes.oprogue@... | 04/06/2006 @ 06:44 AM (PDT)
Yeah, it just dependsriotsquirrl | 04/06/2006 @ 11:28 AM (PDT)
That's my pointgeorgeou | 04/06/2006 @ 03:59 PM (PDT)
I agreeoprogue@... | 04/07/2006 @ 09:08 AM (PDT)
If you have Symantech LiveState, it cangeorgeou | 04/07/2006 @ 02:17 PM (PDT)
"If you have Symantech LiveState ..."

Yu...
oprogue@... | 04/07/2006 @ 06:37 PM (PDT)
$10 OEM copy of Ghost will work toogeorgeou | 04/08/2006 @ 12:21 AM (PDT)
My answer is...sometimesRknRlKid | 04/06/2006 @ 07:09 AM (PDT)
Why feel bad about lost data?kevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 09:55 AM (PDT)
To answer...RknRlKid | 04/10/2006 @ 08:04 AM (PDT)
Time is moneycdbaker0152@... | 04/06/2006 @ 08:18 AM (PDT)
It's always been like thisgeorgeou | 04/06/2006 @ 04:05 PM (PDT)
IT could be worse, and there is a reasonable work aroundIT Wrangler | 04/06/2006 @ 09:15 AM (PDT)
I've found that very few people do this.georgeou | 04/06/2006 @ 04:07 PM (PDT)
Great responseITEngineerGuy | 04/07/2006 @ 10:47 AM (PDT)
Great responseITEngineerGuy | 04/07/2006 @ 10:47 AM (PDT)
Absolutely! This is apart of the install routi...oprogue@... | 04/07/2006 @ 11:42 AM (PDT)
Absolutely! This is apart of the install routi...oprogue@... | 04/07/2006 @ 11:42 AM (PDT)
Which part???cness@... | 04/07/2006 @ 02:20 PM (PDT)
It is included!!!kevaburg@... | 04/08/2006 @ 10:01 AM (PDT)
There are programs like Partition Magic that will let you retro set .......sleepin'dawg | 04/09/2006 @ 05:51 PM (PDT)
monthly runnings of cleaning programs and defragjackintheback | 04/06/2006 @ 06:25 PM (PDT)
Keep this in mind when restoring files from a backup!bg6638@... | 04/07/2006 @ 03:41 PM (PDT)
Wiping to solve infections....Geek Squad PerspectiveAlisaK2000@... | 04/10/2006 @ 05:26 AM (PDT)
Thanks for your responsegeorgeou | 04/10/2006 @ 11:10 AM (PDT)
Separate location for data a needed thingAlisaK2000@... | 04/10/2006 @ 08:33 PM (PDT)
LiveCD version of windowsdavea0511@... | 04/10/2006 @ 12:40 PM (PDT)
Could be done without flashgeorgeou | 04/10/2006 @ 03:52 PM (PDT)
Horse Sensecaring@... | 04/10/2006 @ 06:03 PM (PDT)
Complete wipe of C: only and Start overAaron A Baker | 04/13/2006 @ 10:47 PM (PDT)
GHOST image back-upwoohoo_linux@... | 04/15/2006 @ 02:27 PM (PDT)
Ghost is awesomegeorgeou | 04/21/2006 @ 11:06 PM (PDT)
It Isn't That BadEdward Meyers | 04/16/2006 @ 03:04 PM (PDT)
Fully agreecaring@... | 04/16/2006 @ 08:14 PM (PDT)

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

Browse by Tag

networking
Popular tags: windows,  software,  hardware,  security,  it management
e-mail
Popular tags: windows,  software,  networking,  security,  hardware
hardware
Popular tags: windows,  software,  networking,  it management,  security
programming
Popular tags: software,  windows,  networking,  hardware,  it management
software
Popular tags: windows,  hardware,  networking,  programming,  it management
windows
Popular tags: software,  networking,  hardware,  security,  it management
linux
Popular tags: software,  windows,  networking,  hardware,  security
it management
Popular tags: networking,  windows,  software,  security,  hardware
career
Popular tags: it management,  networking,  software,  windows,  feedback
security
Popular tags: networking,  windows,  software,  it management,  hardware
off-topic
Popular tags: software,  windows,  hardware,  feedback,  networking
feedback
Popular tags: software,  windows,  hardware,  networking,  it management
project management
Popular tags: it management,  software,  networking,  windows,  programming
500 Things Every Technology Professional Needs to Know
Did you know Microsoft's RegClean does not work with XP but you can use shareware to clean your registry? Did you know most wireless access points don't have encryption enabled by default? Did you know there are 500 tidbits of information contained in TechRepublic's 500 Things Every Technology Professional Needs to Know that will help you become a successful IT professional.
Buy Now
Quick Reference: Linux Commands
Reduce stress and speed up resolutions with the easiest command references right at your fingertips. You'll receive a PDF file covering Linux, packed with the most common commands you'll need and use daily.
Buy Now

SmartPlanet

Click Here