[vox-tech] Wipedisk

[Bill Broadley]

netuser at ainet.com wrote:
> Actually, it is DBAN 2.0.0. What I want to do is wipe the HD that Ubuntu is
> on first.
> 

You sound pretty new to this, I'd recommend unplugging your windows disk.
Don't bother with any wiping, and install a new windows install on the ubuntu
disk.  That way it's impossible to blow away your windows install since it
won't be connected.

Once a machine is compromised the safest thing to do is to reinstall from
scratch.  Once booted with a clean install, ideally behind a router so you
aren't visible to the internet.  Then patch it fully while protected behind
the firewall and/or ipmasq/nat router.

Then you can migrate over any text files, bookmarks, email and related from
the other instance.  It's not safe to migrate any binaries, anything should
come from installation media or trusted websites.  Firefox from firefox.com
and the like.

>  I want to keep Windows because that is the OS I know best. I am not quite
> ready to attempt setting up Video, monitor, etc manually. Eventually this
> will be Linux only machine.

These days often things "just work", sounds like your live CD works, if it
does chances are excellent if you just click install things would continue to
work.  Your choice of course.

> Neither HD will boot without putting in Ubuntu Install disk. If I could be
> sure of completely overwriting the Ubuntu HD I would happily reinstall.
> However, that has not seemed to work. It simply installs a second Ubuntu. 

Why worry about the wipe?  Just install windows, give it the whole disk and
you are good.

> The file(Virus) that was automatically downloaded when I clicked on the link
> evidently installs very low (root/boot level?) cannot be simply deleted. The
> solution that was on the website was 136 pgs long. Not my skill level! 

Sounds very strange, in any case trust me that the safest thing to do is
reinstall.  Sure a particular virus once properly analyzed can be reversed.
The problem is multi virus infections are common, not to mention they are
often used as tools to create additional backdoors.  Said backdoors often
result in your machine joining a botnet.

> Of course it is on the Win HD too, since nothing boots w/o install disk. It
> hangs on "Press F2 to enter setup". No mem test or other pretests occur.

Did you catch the virus in linux or windows?  How are you sure you have one?
Not like files/boot sectors never become corrupted.

>  I had hoped to fix the Ubuntu HD first, then the Win HD. I would simply
> change boot sequence. So, yes eventually both must be fixed. However, Win
> seems to work fine once booted, and I know Win better. I cannot wipe Win HD
> because Win can't read DBAN.

Most installation CDs also have a recovery function, fedora and ubuntu
usually.  Then if you reinstall the bootloader you might be good to go.

> Hope this clarifies some, thanks.

Closer.