Removing a Hard Drive

[champloo]

Hi, I need to reinstall windows due to a virus, but I would really like to save much of the data on my system. I have two internal hard drives, and could manage to fit all the data I would like to save on my secondary one. I'm just worried that if I were to remove the secondary drive during the reboot that I would lose the data that is on it. Could you guys please tell me whether this would work? If it will, will I have to do anything before I remove the drive besides shutting down the computer?

 

[wozelbeak]

you shouldn't have to move secondry hard drive any way should you?
even if you do you shouldn't loose the saved data.
are you putting a new hdd in? or are you just going to re-format?
woz

 

[Dishdog]

What OS are you using? when you install windows you don't have to format the secondary harddrive. just transfer everything over to the secondary harddrive, re-intall windows on the master one, then transfer everything back. beware though, the stuff that you keep may contain the virus.

 

[rdcmmnst]

yeah dish dog is right.. the problem could very well be coming from that secondary hard drive but it also could be the answer to you problems just unplug your hdd it would be like backing up..except on your own comp. haha

 

[Dishdog]

You don't need to unplug it. when you install windows it has noting to do with the secondary drive. just make sure you pick the right drive to install windows on.

 

[Kage]

Yeah, if its got a virus on it though, and you've tried running antivirus programs to get rid of it, then don't back up .exe files, as these would have the virus on to repeat the whole thing again!

A virus works by copying itself, rather than any other computer bug which can just be a file somewhere.

As they have the cabaibility of storing themselves inside EXE files of any type, so don't at all store any.

Documents are fine, as is music and saved files.

If you have an updated virus checker, scan the secondary drive, does it notice any?

Try this, AVG Antivirus (its free):

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

I hope this helps.

 

[rdcmmnst]

panda online virus scanner is good too.

 

[Kage]

Yeah, I've heard thats a good little tool. That probably does what AVG does and tells you how to delete the files rather than tries to get rid of them automatically. Plus it means you don't have to install another exe that could carry the virus i guess onto your other drive