How do I delete all partitions on a hard drive array?
I have two SSDs in RAID 0. I believe there is an MBR Trojan on my system. I want to re-install Windows 7 X64 Professional from the original DVD. What are the steps I need to take to remove any Trojan before i do the re-install? I realize I will have to re-install all my programs.
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Yes, the RAID array is below your partitions and MBR, which is below where XP is currently installed. If you chop the base level, all above it go with it too.
Be sure to have backed up all your info and best of luck!
Be sure to have backed up all your info and best of luck!
Go to ubuntu.com, and make a bootable USB stick (or CDROM). Boot to it (this takes windows out of the equation entirely).
Then run the terminal app, and enter:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=64k
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdc bs=64k
Above puts binary zeros on every byte of devices /dev/sdb & /dev/sdc 99% probability those will be the SSDs, but you need to watch the boot screen and see what make/models line up with the device names.
This will take 5-30 mins depending on capacity. If you add a trailing & to each command, they will run in parallel.
Be sure to unplug power on all other devices to insure that only the boot USB & 2 SSDs are plugged in.
Then run the terminal app, and enter:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=64k
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdc bs=64k
Above puts binary zeros on every byte of devices /dev/sdb & /dev/sdc 99% probability those will be the SSDs, but you need to watch the boot screen and see what make/models line up with the device names.
This will take 5-30 mins depending on capacity. If you add a trailing & to each command, they will run in parallel.
Be sure to unplug power on all other devices to insure that only the boot USB & 2 SSDs are plugged in.
P.S. Frankly, it is just nuts to stripe 2 SSD devices, especially for the O/S disk. It really only makes sense if you are doing data collection and mostly writes.
You will get much better real-world performance if you go RAID1. Win7 software raid does read balancing, so both disks work in parallel. Your read performance, both I/Os per second and throughput with multiple streams will be much faster then if RAID0.
Plus your data is protected.
You will get much better real-world performance if you go RAID1. Win7 software raid does read balancing, so both disks work in parallel. Your read performance, both I/Os per second and throughput with multiple streams will be much faster then if RAID0.
Plus your data is protected.
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ASKER
Assuming there is an MBR Trojan present, can I create a disk image of the C: partition on another hard drive, then delete the RAID 0 array on the two SSDs, then re-create the array as RAID 1 on the SSD's then copy the disk image onto the SSD array? Will this get rid o]f the Trojan?
No it won't, the MBR will be copied across and copied back. Think of imaging is like taking a photograph of the system as is.
Copy your user data to a removable USB drive then copy back across once the system is formatted and you have up to date antivirus protection.
Copy your user data to a removable USB drive then copy back across once the system is formatted and you have up to date antivirus protection.
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ASKER
Is there any way to preserve my programs and copy them to another hard disk without having the MBR copied, with the presumed Trojan still present? I really do not want to have to re-install all my programs.
Lots of good virus checkers out there. If you want to preserve your data, you'll just have to find one that can clean it up.
Please see the free Kaspersky Bootkit removal tool: http://support.kaspersky.c
This along with any other MBR removal kit may help, else you'd be looking at the reformat option.
Best of luck!
This along with any other MBR removal kit may help, else you'd be looking at the reformat option.
Best of luck!
ASKER