Posts by ruggedfalcon62

Jack Wood87 said:Man, I feel so silly now. I should have just pulled the USB drive out myself since it was set as the primary boot device... My bad, everyone! Sorry for the scare, I really thought I was in trouble for a second.

👍

Roger Stewart said:Windows 7, my own internet, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 + 60GB drive

Your computer is actually more powerful than mine, and I don't run into these issues even though I don't have direct internet—I'm actually piggybacking off my neighbor's connection... First off, you should check if someone else has hopped onto your network. There are plenty of programs out there to help you verify that...

Then there's the processor... Mine is dual-core... so what are you running?

If you've got a dual-core processor, you really shouldn't be dealing with these kinds of problems...

I dealt with similar issues on my old laptop and desktop because they had low RAM, a weak processor, and a small hard drive... A friend of mine had this exact problem too because a few random people connected to his Wi-Fi, even though he was using an ancient machine... Once he changed his password, everything fixed itself...

I don't see any other issue besides maybe needing to clean up your hard drive if it isn't new, or if you've swapped out multiple operating systems and it's just cluttered with junk... You can use CCleaner and use the drive wiper free space tool... You could do one pass, but it'll take a while given the size of your drive... I once cleaned my 250 GB drive with three passes and it took me the entire day...

I don't know any other way... maybe someone here knows a better method... It would probably be a good idea to install Norton Security and blow the dust out of your motherboard... But honestly, even with your current antivirus, you shouldn't be having trouble considering how strong your PC is... These are just my experiences and suggestions. Take care!

Matthew Young35 said:When the loader spilled the whole cargo... Hahahaha

hahahaha 👍

Matthew Young35 said:Hahahahahaha

Just a bunch of farmers.
Haha

That’s not even all of it haha.
Hahahaha
Total concrete jockeys!

LOL

hahahhahaa I was talking to him about the drive and he tries to counter me by suggesting the exact same low level format program... clearly he doesn't even know what he's talking about....🍿

Nathan Brooks42 said:Look, with all due respect, you're talking nonsense here...
Linux and Windows don't share anything resembling the same drivers; Linux drivers are compiled and operate on a completely different principle. Because of that, your logic that Linux started working just because you updated your Windows drivers (not to mention you ended up using an Uninstaller on Windows right after) is just as flawed as your claim that data is easily recovered after a format.
I already explained the rough idea of what a "format" actually does, and I explained why it's nearly impossible for a virus to "survive"—even with your colorful way of describing formatting—let alone drivers designed for a totally different OS platform...
And I have no clue what you mean by calling people "peasants"?

But I've been telling you this the whole time: Ubuntu works when it's installed alongside a formatted Windows 7, but it won't work if everything is totally wiped. The logic is that the Windows 7 installation process doesn't clear the entire drive during a format... I know it's hard to wrap your head around, but it's the truth.

nimbleskipper5 said:Hellooo... knock knock... anybody home?? Man, you clearly don't even get the difference between a standard format and a low-level format. You really shouldn't waste your time. I'm not here to feed the trolls.

The option in Windows 7 just says "format"... when I format, the data stays on the drive—I've been saying this the whole time. Where is this "low-level format" option in Windows 7? That's the first I've ever heard of it. I'm talking about a standard Windows 7 format... I don't know what kind of formatting that is, and it doesn't even matter because the data remains on the disk. You're totally coming out of left field here! Hahaha.😵

From what I've seen online, that low-level formatting is basically just a tool similar to DBAN... hahaha.

http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-...l-Format-Tool/

I keep saying that a regular format doesn't wipe the data from the hard drive; that can only be done with DBAN or similar programs. Meanwhile, you keep insisting that a low-level format wipes everything, even though it's essentially the same type of process as DBAN...🙂

Low-level formatting isn't even the same thing as the formatting option found during a Windows 7 installation... hahahha.🤦

I am specifically talking about formatting while installing Windows 7... hahaha.

Get real, people...

Drew Allen77 said:Can you actually come to a conclusion on your own without just linking explanations from other sites?

Are you even reading what I'm writing? I wiped my entire hard drive using DBAN, then installed Ubuntu, which gave me a black screen after rebooting. I figured it was probably the GPU, so I swapped the card out, but nothing changed. Then I formatted the drive, installed Windows 7, and realized five or six drivers weren't working. Once I updated them through Windows 7, everything was fixed. After that, I reinstalled Ubuntu over the formatted Windows 7 partition, and it worked perfectly—no more black screen. It's pretty obvious to me that formatting Windows 7 didn't actually clear it from the drive. I confirmed this with plenty of data online too. If you guys can't wrap your heads around the fact that formatting doesn't fully erase Windows from the disk...
Since I had the time, I wiped the drive again with DBAN—the same drive where Ubuntu had worked fine right after the Windows 7 format—and once I reinstalled it on a totally clean drive, the black screen came back. I spent a couple of days wrestling with this, and my logical conclusion is that formatting simply doesn't wipe all the data. People's logic is something else... please, start using your brains.
hahahhaa 🙂

When you go through the motions of formatting a hard drive, you aren't actually wiping the data itself. All you're doing is clearing out the index that tells the OS where everything is located, essentially making the files "invisible." To the computer, the drive appears totally empty, but the actual bits and bytes haven't moved an inch.

The reality is that all that info stays right where it was. Unless you perform a deep, permanent wipe, anyone with the right recovery software or specialized hardware can pull those files right back.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolso...hard-drive.htm

Please, someone help them understand this... ☕

nimbleskipper5 said:It sounds like you’re having a harder time using your brain than anything else. I already mentioned that a low-level format fixes everything... which means it wipes EVERY single file and everything else. It’s permanent. Maybe do some actual research before you keep talking nonsense.
ps
The low-level format tool is free software.

Formatting the hard drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the files. Formatting a disk does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist would be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before the reformat.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/..._harddrive.asp

If something can be recovered after being deleted, was it actually deleted? That's the real question here...????????????????

Logically, it wasn't truly gone if it can just be brought back. Use your head, man! Hahahahahaha 🍿

Total expert right here 😵

Matthew Young35 said:Maybe the guy is just selling that hard drive?

1. Eraser
2. Securely file Shredder
3. Freeraser
4. WipeFile
5. Secure Eraser haahhhahha

haahhhahha

Drew Allen77 said:Wait, so formatting actually wipes the data now?

Wait, didn't you just claim that was total garbage? You said it doesn't work, that viruses stay behind after a format and you can only get rid of them with a full wipe.

Total troll.

Mr. Doctor of Computer Science
by taj Fisher PC Support Expert When you
PC Support Expert

When you format a hard drive or delete a partition, you're usually only deleting the file system, making the data invisible but not gone. A file recovery program or special hardware can easily recover the information.

I get it, hahaha... like trying to clear out a coal loader with a spoon, hahaha

Matthew Young35 said:Why on earth would you bother formatting a brand-new drive that doesn't have anything on it yet?

If you could act a little more reasonable—and if I were actually sure you weren't just trolling me—I’d explain exactly what formatting is and why people say it doesn't truly delete data. But honestly, I'm not in the mood.

Formatting doesn't wipe all the data. It's already been explained that formatting just makes the files invisible, but they're still sitting there on the disk... and they can easily be recovered. How can they be "recovered" if they've been deleted? Come on, start using some common sense... you guys are hopeless! hahaha

nimbleskipper5 said:It feels like you're forgetting what you actually wrote just a few posts ago, so let me quote you here:

"another example, I installed a pirated version of Windows XP and it kept giving me the 'not genuine' error... I formatted it and tried other versions of Windows XP, but man, the 'not genuine' message keeps popping up. Then I wiped the whole hard drive using DBAN, reinstalled that other XP, and the problem was gone... basically, everything on the internet says formatting doesn't completely erase all the data...."

Look, if you're going to install pirated software anyway, at least grab a WGA validator so you don't get that "not genuine" notification. Come on, man, pull yourself together and stop posting about things you clearly don't understand.

I installed that XP five years ago... but there's also Win Activator, and you can just delete a couple of registry files in XP to make the "not genuine" message disappear. I've tried both methods and they both work.

Jason Harris5 said:Does that mean drivers aren't actually software/files, but hardware? Is that why they work fine on a CD, while the ones downloaded from the internet cause all these issues?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...#1TC=windows-7

it explains everything about drivers right here

Matthew Young35 said:We've actually discovered something new here. Apparently, the best way to speed up your OS is to just wipe it completely.

And honestly, it works wonders... I’ve wiped a few machines like that now, and the difference is night and day. Fresh installs of Windows 7 feel so much snappier. Just formatting it basically just puts a clean version of Windows on the drive. I’ve swapped out about ten different versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on one single hard drive while experimenting, and my PC just kept getting slower and slower... but after a total wipe, it feels brand new again.

Don't tell me you didn't know that, Mr. Computer Scientist... hahaha, you're a real genius...

Matthew Young35 said:Wait, weren't you saying earlier that formatting doesn't actually delete files?
Now I'm just confused—does formatting wipe the files or not?

Total confusion right there... haha!

Did your IT buddy Tim Fisher explain to you how formatting just makes the data "invisible" without actually erasing it?

So, technically speaking, they get deleted and become invisible—meaning they're "gone," but they're actually still sitting there... just hidden. That's what your resident tech expert Tim Fisher claims. You should grab his number and meet up for coffee to hash this out properly... hahaha! 🙂

Jason Harris5 said:I'm actually kind of worried... what if this DBAN thing is some sort of virus targeting Linux? After all, you have to run it to make Linux work. Who actually developed DBAN? And how can I be sure it won't just trigger later on and reinstall Windows? 🤷

DBAN is just disk wiping software.

DBAN is free erasure software designed for the home user. It automatically deletes the contents of any hard disk that it can detect. This method can help prevent identity theft before recycling a computer. DBAN is also a commonly used solution to remove viruses and spyware from Microsoft Windows installations.

http://www.dban.org/

But you should only wipe the drive if you really need to. Once you clear everything out with DBAN, installing a new operating system feels much faster. It’s actually a great way to speed things up if your current OS is lagging... because standard formatting just leaves old junk on the hard drive that slows down a fresh install. With DBAN, you're wiping the whole drive completely clean.

Matthew Young35 said:Some computer science expert is going to try to tell you that formatting isn't about deleting a file system—it's actually about creating one.

Man, you don't even know what you're talking about anymore, Mr. Computer Scientist! hahaha

Formatting wipes all existing files on a hard drive. If you format a drive that has data on it, those files are gone.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...sks-and-drives

It’s becoming pretty obvious how much you actually know about IT...🤦

Matthew Young35 said:A simple format isn't enough to wipe Windows off a drive completely. To truly get rid of it, you basically need an exorcism.

When you format a hard drive or delete a partition, you're usually only deleting the file system, making the data invisible but not gone. A file recovery program or special hardware can easily recover the information.

When you format a hard drive or wipe a partition, you're typically just clearing the file system. That makes the data invisible, but it hasn't actually vanished. Data recovery software or specialized hardware can pull that info right back.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixthe...hard-drive.htm

As stated by our resident IT expert, Bjesomar_:

Tim Fisher
PC Support Expert

Tim Fisher PC Support Expert taj Fisher is a Professional freelance Technology author, co-owner of a technology services company for small businesses, and author of Windows 8 Basics in 30 Minutes, published by i30 Media.

Hahaha, it's all just grease monkeys and mechanics at this point... hahahahaha

Matthew Young35 said:I can't quite recall—what was it you asked?

Formatting won't wipe out Windows 7... there's nothing you can do about that! haha 🙂