Anyone still running Windows 7?

I'm pretty sure Recuva can handle it.

driftingbadger17 said:After formatting a drive, you can actually recover over 90 percent of your data using simple, widely available tools.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S

Of course, a significant portion of data on a formatted drive can be recovered—provided we are talking about a quick format. A quick format doesn't actually wipe the information; it simply deletes the pointers.
However, even with a quick format, a malicious program (like a virus) cannot run
unless you perform a "restore" first using something like Recuva, TestDisk, or a similar utility.

Once a quick format is performed, a mass of bytes remains on the disk. To the operating system, however, this heap of bytes is essentially meaningless because the OS no longer knows how to interpret them. To extract anything useful from that mess, you need specialized tools like the aforementioned TestDisk or Recuva.
If you have a virus sitting on a formatted disk, it is more than harmless; the operating system simply fails to recognize it as an executable program. The OS won't run it, even if it wanted to.

Then there is the practical issue of actually using the drive.
The more you use the disk, the more you overwrite those old sectors.
Consider it this way: you have Windows installed on the drive, looking something like this:
10011001010010000101000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000
Those zeros at the end represent free space, while that string of ones and zeros represents Windows along with the virus.
When you format the disk, you lose the map telling you what those ones and zeros signify.
If you then install new Windows files, the disk looks like this:
01110001010000101110100000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000
A completely different pattern.
At that point, you haven't just lost the definition of the original bits; you've lost the actual bytes themselves.
In such a scenario, Recuva won't be able to help you at all.

The reality is that while those ones and zeros physically exist on the disk somewhere, once you write new data over them, they are gone forever.

Now, regarding the rumors of viruses surviving a format.
There are several possibilities, but none of them involve a complete format of the drive.
One possibility is that the virus has embedded itself in the MBR.
Another is that it has infected the BIOS, which has nothing to do with the hard drive itself.
A third possibility is that the virus hijacks the formatting software, meaning you haven't actually formatted the disk at all—you just think you did.
There is no fourth option.

ruggedfalcon62 is honestly such a hilarious character.

Dealing with an MBR virus? Just go for a low-level format... honestly, it’s not even a big deal.

Drew Allen77 said:ruggedfalcon62 is honestly such a joke.

Gosh, you guys are being so tedious... let me explain this so you can come to your own conclusion about whether formatting actually wipes Windows...
Here’s the deal: I installed Ubuntu as my OS... but before that, I had wiped the entire hard drive completely. Every single time I tried to boot Ubuntu, I just got a black screen, even after running updates... So, I formatted the Ubuntu partition and installed Windows 7 instead. I noticed some drivers weren't working, so I ran Windows 7 Update to fix them... After that, I formatted Windows 7 and went back to Ubuntu... and the problem was gone! It turned out to be motherboard and graphics drivers. So, now you tell me, "expert," why does Ubuntu work fine over a formatted Windows 7 installation, but fails when the hard drive is totally wiped? It's logical—because Windows 7 wasn't truly erased. Stop acting like you know everything when you clearly don't... hahahaha

I can't wait for your brilliant and witty comeback...😵

nimbleskipper5 said:An MBR virus can be wiped out with a low-level format... it’s really not a big deal.

Are you guys actually listening? Some viruses just won't go away even after formatting...

Here's another example: I installed a pirated version of Windows XP, and it kept flagging me as not Genuine. I tried formatting it and installing different versions of Windows XP, but man, it kept showing up as not Genuine every single time. Finally, I did a full DBAN wipe on the hard drive, reinstalled that other Windows XP, and then—presto—the problem was gone. Look, the whole internet is full of info explaining that standard formatting doesn't completely wipe all data... let's get real here.😵

If you guys consider yourselves tech experts, then I guess I’m a total genius compared to you...🙂

ruggedfalcon62 said:God, you guys are tedious. Let me explain something so you can reach your own conclusion about whether formatting actually wipes Windows...
So, here's the deal. I installed Ubuntu as my OS. Before that, I wiped the entire hard drive clean. Every bit. Yet, every time I booted Ubuntu, I was stuck staring at a black screen, even after running updates. Later, I formatted the Ubuntu partition, installed Windows 7, and realized some drivers weren't working properly, so I ran Windows 7 Update to fix them. After that, I formatted Windows 7 and went back to Ubuntu. Everything worked perfectly. No issues. It turned out to be motherboard and graphics drivers. So, now tell me, since you're all such experts: why does Ubuntu work fine on top of a formatted Windows 7, but fails on a completely wiped drive? Logically, it’s because the Windows drivers were still there. What are you all lecturing me about when you clearly have no clue? Hahahaha

I'm eagerly awaiting your brilliant and witty rebuttal...😵

Yeah, sure, you're right. Your Ubuntu worked because those Windows drivers remained on the disk after the format.

🙂

ruggedfalcon62 said:Man, you guys are being such a pain... Let me explain this to you, and then you can decide for yourselves if formatting actually wipes Windows...
So, here’s the deal... I was installing Ubuntu as my OS, but right before that, I wiped the entire hard drive using DBAN. Every single time I tried to boot up Ubuntu, I just got stuck staring at a black screen, even after running all the updates. After that failed attempt, I decided to format the Ubuntu partition and install Windows 7 instead. I noticed some drivers weren't working properly, so I ran Windows 7 Update to get everything squared away. Then, I formatted the Windows 7 installation and went back to installing Ubuntu... and wouldn't you know it? No more problems. It turned out to be an issue with the motherboard and graphics card drivers. So, now I want to hear from you "experts"... why does Ubuntu work perfectly fine after a Windows 7 format, yet fails when I try to install it on a completely wiped drive? It’s pretty obvious to me because the Windows 7 installation wasn't wiped out... so why are you guys acting like you know everything when you clearly don't... hahaha...

I'm looking forward to seeing that clever, witty response of yours...😵

Windows drivers won't work on Ubuntu. That black screen you're seeing beforehand usually points to a hardware issue, but I'm going to need a bit more information than that to really help you out...

ruggedfalcon62 said:Does anyone else follow this stuff? I’ve been reading about cases where certain viruses just won't budge, even after you try formatting the drive...

Here's another example for you. I installed a pirated version of Windows XP, and it kept throwing that "not Genuine" error at me. It was driving me crazy—I tried formatting the drive and installing different versions of Windows XP, but man, that "not Genuine" message just wouldn't go away. Eventually, I decided to wipe the entire hard drive using DBAN and then did a fresh install of that other XP version, and suddenly, everything worked perfectly. Apparently, there's a lot of talk online claiming that a standard format doesn't actually clear all your data... people really need to wake up to what's actually happening...😵

Are you serious?...😵 Do you honestly think Windows would throw a "not Genuine" error just because of formatting...🤣

Windows drivers won't work on Ubuntu. That black screen you mentioned earlier points to a hardware issue, but you really need to provide more details than this.

Seriously? Are you actually suggesting that Windows would throw a "not Genuine" error just because of formatting?

But they work on Windows 7... which stayed on the drive after the format... that's the whole point. I didn't wipe Windows 7 off the hard drive during the format... there isn't much more to say about it.
Look, if you really want me to explain, I wiped the entire hard drive using DBAN, which took about a full day. Then I installed Ubuntu on a totally clean drive... everything worked fine. The drive was recognized and installed perfectly. But after a reboot, I got a black screen—like the system was dead. It took me two days to figure out what happened. Just so you know, I didn't ask anyone for help; I read online that black screens on Ubuntu are usually related to the graphics card, so I even swapped out my GPU, but nothing worked. Since I couldn't get anything else to happen, I went back to Windows 7 and saw that about five or six drivers were malfunctioning, including the one for my old graphics card, so I updated them. Since I had the chance to run dual boot, I reinstalled Ubuntu, and it worked! Given I had the time, I was curious how Ubuntu could work alongside Windows 7 but fail as a standalone OS. I read somewhere that formatting doesn't truly erase Windows, it just moves things to a different part of the drive. So, I formatted both Windows 7 and Ubuntu, then did a fresh Ubuntu install... and it worked again without any black screen. I logically concluded that the Windows 7 drivers I updated were still lingering somewhere on the drive because they hadn't been fully erased. There's no other explanation. Seriously, for everyone listening, it wasn't some hardware failure or nonsense. It's simple: Windows 7 was still stuck on the drive. It's logic, man. Do Windows drivers work on Ubuntu or not? Ubuntu works. If I used DBAN to wipe the drive again, Ubuntu wouldn't work. What more do you need? I've been fighting this for weeks and you're telling me fairy tales.

Are you high? My Windows XP was a pirated version and kept showing "not Genuine." I got a new Windows XP—also pirated, but tested on another PC—and it didn't show "not Genuine." However, once I formatted the old Windows XP and installed the new Windows XP, it started showing "not Genuine" again. I couldn't wrap my head around why. Then I wiped the drive with DBAN, waited a whole day, and installed that same new Windows XP, and it didn't show "not Genuine" anymore. Therefore, it's obvious that formatting doesn't delete all the data that can affect future operating systems. It's just logic. Stop feeding me these stories.😵

If a new Windows XP shows "not Genuine" after formatting an old Windows XP, but stops showing it after wiping the drive with DBAN, then logically the new Windows XP was throwing that error because the formatting didn't completely erase the old XP. It's basic logic, man... are you a child?

Is Ubuntu failing you because you left some Windows 7 drivers lingering on the drive after formatting?
I can't think of anything more foolish I've heard in a long time.

Matthew Young35 said:Are you saying Ubuntu isn't working because some old Windows 7 drivers were left on the drive after formatting?
I honestly can't think of anything more ridiculous.

You couldn't even fix a pencil, let alone a computer... "tech genius"... hahaha

So now you're going to explain to me why Ubuntu works when there are leftover Windows 7 files from a format, but won't work if the Windows 7 installation was totally wiped? I am dying to hear your expert, brilliant explanation... hahaha, just a grease monkey... hahaha 😵

Whether it's just leftover drivers or the whole Windows 7 partition doesn't matter; what matters is that Ubuntu runs fine on a formatted drive, and we don't know what exactly stayed behind after the format. I'm no expert, but realize that formatting doesn't always wipe everything completely—not Windows 7 or any other OS. It's just logic. You self-proclaimed IT experts really need to stop attacking the mechanics. 👏

Ahaaaa... I see where I went wrong. I completely misunderstood you. I thought you meant Ubuntu wouldn't run on a totally wiped drive, rather than just a formatted one. My mistake.
Of course it works exactly the way you described. How else could Ubuntu function if those leftover Windows drivers weren't still sitting there on the disk after formatting? It’s simple logic, really: Linux can't operate without those Windows drivers, even if they're just remnants left behind from a previous installation.

It’s pretty interesting—days are passing by and not one single IT genius or mechanic has stepped up to explain why Ubuntu runs fine on a formatted Windows 7 drive, but fails when the drive is totally wiped... I'm still waiting for someone to grace me with a smart, expert answer... nobody's saying a word... hahahahha 😵

You guys are so boring...

To wipe a hard drive means to completely erase the drive of all information. Deleting everything does not wipe a hard drive and formatting does not [always] wipe a hard drive. You'll need to take an extra step to wipe the hard drive completely.

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.

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

Matthew Young35 said:Ahaaaa... My bad, I totally misunderstood you. I thought you meant Ubuntu wouldn't run on a completely wiped drive, not that it failed on a formatted one. I definitely misread your point there.
Well, you're absolutely right. How could Ubuntu possibly function if those leftover Windows drivers from the previous installation were still lingering on the disk after formatting? It’s just basic logic—Linux can't work if it's tripping over old Windows drivers left behind by the format.

But weren't you just insisting that formatting wipes Windows 7 completely? 🤔

Now you're saying Windows 7 somehow survived the format... 😲

It’s pretty obvious why Windows 7 stuck around. If it hadn't, how exactly would Ubuntu even function?
Anyone who has ever messed around with an Ubuntu installation knows the drill: you have to get Windows set up first, wipe the drive, and only then can you actually install Ubuntu to ensure the drivers play nice.

So, I wanted to pick the brains of the experts here for a second... does this whole procedure apply to pretty much any version of Ubuntu? And do I really need to be running Windows 7, or would something like Windows XP work too? See, I've got this one old machine where 7 just isn't performing well—the screen looks super weird, none of those nice rounded window corners are showing up, and the colors look totally washed out. It’s kind of a mess! I'm thinking about giving Ubuntu a shot, maybe an older version to see if it runs smoother... so, yeah... is that doable, and if so, what's the best way to go about it?

Matthew Young35 said:It’s obvious why Windows 7 survived. If it hadn't, how would Ubuntu even function?
Anyone who has ever actually installed Ubuntu knows the drill—you have to install Windows first, then wipe the drive and install Ubuntu just to deal with drivers.

What kind of bullshit drivers are you talking about? You seriously think you need Windows drivers to install Ubuntu? 🙄

Sure, you can install Windows after Ubuntu... it just means you have to jump through a few extra hoops... check this out: http://askubuntu.com/questions/6317/...stalled-ubuntu

The fact that Windows doesn't recognize GRUB is a Windows issue, not an Ubuntu issue...
but there's a fix for that too, if you bother to look at the link...

Tyler Richardson72 said:What kind of drivers are we even talking about? You really think you need Windows drivers just to install Ubuntu? 🙄...

Technically, yes, though you have to format everything first. It's clear that ruggedfalcon62 won't touch Ubuntu unless they wipe their Windows partition beforehand.

Jason Harris5 said:Anyway, let me ask the experts here... does this process work for all versions of Ubuntu? And do I really need to be running Windows 7, or would Windows XP work too? To be honest, I have an old PC where Windows 7 isn't performing great—the screen looks weird, the windows don't have those rounded corners, and the colors look washed out. I want to try Ubuntu, but maybe an older version... so, is that possible, and if so, how?

I wouldn't call myself an expert; I'm just sharing my own experience and some logical takeaways. I installed Ubuntu on an older machine and ran into those driver issues, though it's entirely possible that newer hardware wouldn't have those problems. I have a more modern computer, but I haven't actually tried installing Ubuntu or experimenting on it yet...

I've downloaded several different Ubuntu versions. One I grabbed via torrent didn't work, so I went straight to the official Ubuntu website. My thought is that downloading directly from their site ensures you get the latest builds, so I can't say for sure what would work for older hardware. You also have the option to use a live DVD, which lets you test things out without actually installing anything...

If you run into a black screen issue while using Ubuntu, you might need to install Windows 7 first to get the right drivers. I haven't tried doing that with XP, so I don't have any firsthand experience there...