format HDD

[kwokwai]

Old news:
Virtual Tools are common program, but they can also make an OS unable to start up as usual.

In case you were one of the 'victims', what can you do?

For me, I will simply put the XP Disc into the CD Rom and format the partition, and then reinstall the Windows; but this can take me more than 2 hrs.


Today's news:
I have just visited Acohol120% support forums, and seen a man from the Support Team suggesting users using BootVis program.
He said he has got DT and Alcohol120% installed in Windows XP, do you think he's telling the truth?
Hadn't he learnt of that will crash the Windows?

[bear]

Have no reason to doubt him, do you? Other than your system breaking, that is. Maybe his system config is different, or he installed in a difeferent order, or something.
Many factors go into something working or failing.

[kwokwai]

Do you have any opinion toward the way I format the HDD?

Is it a good solution to reinstall the Windows for the case that the Windows can't start up properly? :confused:

[bear]

A bit extreme, but it works. I tend to try and fix the issue instead of immediately reinstalling Windows, since when I reinstall, I do a low level format and start everything over. Takes me a long time to get back to "normal".

My method instead is to use imaging software (Acronis True Image) and make incremental backups of my complete drive regularly. It falls down, I restore to the last backup and lose very little. I also have automated backups running of working files, so that's covered too.

[wera]

Should have seen what happend to me.. reinstalling windows now XD






"""""""""""""""Well it all starts wit a message "WARNING: Zone Alarm has NOT blockedan intusion attepmt fr......" system freezes XD then i restart my computer and now i wathed as zon alarm UNINSTALLED ITSELF 0)_(0 avg will not work... and spybot will not work it just says "spybot has changed itself spybot does not change b itself recomend to check for malware imediatley" can not reinstall anything without system crashes and clean installing means reinstalling motherboards cards etc.. *sigh* need help thanks.""""""""""""""""""

[bear]

Are you asking for help or telling us about something that happened previously? If it's help, I'll split this into another post so it doesn't get lost.

By the way, all that info you posted is bad news. ZA and all those others have been compromised, it seems. Maybe you need a better firewall product.

[kwokwai]

A bit extreme, but it works. I tend to try and fix the issue instead of immediately reinstalling Windows, since when I reinstall, I do a low level format and start everything over. Takes me a long time to get back to "normal".

My method instead is to use imaging software (Acronis True Image) and make incremental backups of my complete drive regularly. It falls down, I restore to the last backup and lose very little. I also have automated backups running of working files, so that's covered too.

So, can you tell me how the imaging software works? Did the software load first before the XP welcome screen?
You know that I had a bad experience of using a FastStone Retsore program, :confused: and then the Windows can't start up, worse luck!
(Even Safe Mode was not workable).

How about the place (Giga bytes) it takes up?

[bear]

To restore an image, you use a floppy start up disk (this was created when first imaging the drive). It loads the needed files to grab the backup and do what needs doing.

[kwokwai]

To restore an image, you use a floppy start up disk (this was created when first imaging the drive). It loads the needed files to grab the backup and do what needs doing.

So, that would need a partition, i think!

FastStone Restore program makes a partition around 8GB for backup, and it loads every time before you can see the Windows Welcome Screen

[bear]

Well, not exactly. You can use another partition, a second drive or even a networked drive for the backup files. I use a second drive in the computer, and back that up to a networked drive for safe keeping.

[kwokwai]

Well, not exactly. You can use another partition, a second drive or even a networked drive for the backup files. I use a second drive in the computer, and back that up to a networked drive for safe keeping.

A networked drive?
Sound like you are putting the backup data to the Internet!

[bear]

A networked drive can be local too. For instance, I have a 180 GB drive on my network here that backs up user files on all systems at regular intervals. Behind a firewall, reachable only from within the LAN.
LAN: local area network (a private network)
WAN: The internet, or a network between 2 or more LANS over the regular internet, usually protected by secure tunnelling.