If i reinstall Windows to get rid of a virus, will all my files be deleted?

Answer 1

Yes, but why would you want to reinstall windows??. Have you run your own antivirus software. If you don't have one you can download an excellent free home for personal use. Avast, and you will get an excellent background scanner that really works and on the hour updates. http://www.avast.com

Or you can run Trend Micro Housecall, direct scan from their server. Just follow the instructions on the link I am going to give you. You will have to download an active "X". Safe no problem.

http://housecall65.trendmicro.com/

Complete the scan and allow Tren Micro to complete the scan and will destroy all viruses found at the end of the scan.

Minddoctor, France

Answer 2

If your files & programs were on the same partition on which the OS was installed, then surely they will all be deleted.

Even if ur programs were on a separate partition ,still they would become non-functional on re-installing the Windows OS as all the registry files related to ur programs will be erased.

I would suggest u to use a good antivirus program lke AVG or avast antivirus to disinfect ur computer , before re-installing Windows. Some viruses remain in a sector of ur HDD partition which is kept by Windows for System Restore information, only total formatting can remove these viruses, so think twice before u act.

Answer 3

Re installing windows will not get rid of a virus, only a total format will get rid of it and everything else on your computer.
Before you do that try going to trendmicro.com and download the trial version of there virus scan install it, update it and run it. It should take care of your virus. Then download ad-aware from lavasoft.com install and update it, then run it and remove everything it finds, go to start/accessories/system tool and run a disk clean up. and then defrag. after all this it should be running good with out having to format and loose all your files. Good luck.

Answer 4

If you do a system restore, yes, all of the programs that you downloaded will be lost. I suggest using AVG Free Edition or Avast in order to get rid of the virus. If you do do a system restore and the virus is removed from your computer, you should make back-up discs of your computer so you can load them onto your computer if you ever have a problem that is similar to this again. Good luck!

Answer 5

Nope, reinstalling windows does not remove the virus. You need to format the drives.

Answer 6

Reinstalling windows will not get rid of a virus, you either need to get a software to get rid of it, or reformatt and then reinstall windows.

Answer 7

If only re-install the windows, that will NOT delete all your files (including the virus), but will only re-store the system files.

you can run "del /s *.dll", "del /s *.exe" to delete all .exe and .dll file right after the first time you launch your windows after re-install, if the file important to you is not a .exe nor .dll file.

Answer 8

If you have multiple partition you should format only the windows's one (i presume that it is C:) and the rest of files being placed on D: or somewhere else will be safe and good to go along with your new windows installation

Answer 9

In order to truely get rid of the virus you will need to format the drive, if you do that then yes you will loose them

if you just run a new setup on top of the old you may or may not get rid of the virus (it might not effect you but it would still be on the drive.) but you would not loose the files...

Answer 10

Hell yeah!
That's the idea, you've got to clean the whole lot.

You can back up the stuff you want first though.

Or you could create a partition in windows and shove your stuff there. I think that would work, but back up anyway, just to make sure.

Ant...