Keyloggers and wiping a harddrive

[AllenPCarlson]

So I think there may be a keylogger on my PC and phone and I'd like to just wipe the memory clean and fresh install. I don't have anything I need to backup. How would I go about doing that? Are the free software solutions to be trusted? What's the best, least expensive, non-free wiping software I could use?

[LHJKO]

just reinstall windows it will get rid of the keylogger

[Zando_]

Make a bootable Ubuntu flash drive, boot into live mode, wipe the hard drive, then reinstall Windows. Verify your Windows key is valid first.

[themctipers]

windows installation formatting (free, trusted, straight from microsoft)

[pmos]

I assume you are using windows, if you are on windows 10, use the recovery option to wipe your system clean, use use the usb tool to create an install medium... with windows 7 boot up the install medium usb/dvd and install, it will show you the partitions you have, wipe them.

1 minute ago, AllenPCarlson said:

So I think there may be a keylogger on my PC and phone and I'd like to just wipe the memory clean and fresh install. I don't have anything I need to backup. How would I go about doing that? Are the free software solutions to be trusted? What's the best, least expensive, non-free wiping software I could use?

 

[AllenPCarlson]

27 minutes ago, pmos said:

I assume you are using windows, if you are on windows 10, use the recovery option to wipe your system clean, use use the usb tool to create an install medium... with windows 7 boot up the install medium usb/dvd and install, it will show you the partitions you have, wipe them.

 

Isn't that just a format? I'm looking to completely wipe them, so that whatever data was there will be overwritten.

[AllenPCarlson]

44 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Make a bootable Ubuntu flash drive, boot into live mode, wipe the hard drive, then reinstall Windows. Verify your Windows key is valid first.

I've never used ubuntu. So I type in shred c: in the... command prompt?

[Zando_]

30 minutes ago, AllenPCarlson said:

I've never used ubuntu. So I type in shred c: in the... command prompt?

Wouldn't advise that. Just do a fresh install of Windows, and when you get to the part where you choose which drive to install to, format the drive, then continue with the install.

[AllenPCarlson]

17 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Wouldn't advise that. Just do a fresh install of Windows, and when you get to the part where you choose which drive to install to, format the drive, then continue with the install.

I don't want to format, I want to wipe. Earlier you suggested using Ubuntu. I've done further research into it, but the technical terms people are using to describe the process are a little over my head, but I'm going to use Ubuntu to wipe the drive.

 

I guess I just type this into the command... prompt?

 

dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdX bs=512

[Zando_]

29 minutes ago, AllenPCarlson said:

I don't want to format, I want to wipe. Earlier you suggested using Ubuntu. I've done further research into it, but the technical terms people are using to describe the process are a little over my head, but I'm going to use Ubuntu to wipe the drive.

 

I guess I just type this into the command... prompt?

 

dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdX bs=512

IDK. Haven't messed around with wiping stuff via terminal. But formatting the drive should do the same thing. Or there's probably an app for Linux (Ubuntu in this case) that wipes the drive. By wipe, do you mean wipe it, overwrite it, then wipe it again? Like a secure wipe? 

[Zando_]

Try this: http://www.techieinspire.com/completely-wipe-hard-drive-ubuntu-live-disk/ 

 

Just use LinuxLive USB Creator to make the bootable USB: http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download

 

And you'll need the Ubuntu ISO: https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

[Andreas Lilja]

Wouldn't merely running anti-malware software be enough? Format seems nuclear. 

 

Zemana has a program dedicated to removing loggers. Either that or Keyscrambler which encrypts your keystrokes. 

[AllenPCarlson]

1 hour ago, Raskolnikov said:

Wouldn't merely running anti-malware software be enough? Format seems nuclear. 

 

Zemana has a program dedicated to removing loggers. Either that or Keyscrambler which encrypts your keystrokes. 

I format frequently. I want to -wipe- my hard drive. 

[slesar]

Use HitmanPro.Alert

Free remove any malwares and anti-keylogger as well.

Enjoy.

P.S Bitdefender  Total Security does have anti keylogger.