Hard drive has encryption virus. should i format?

[pratte_55]

So my old computer had an encryption virus. the hard drive still works as far as i know, but i chucked the old pc as it was crap. i bought a new used pc and am currently awaiting new parts in the mail to build a gaming pc. so id like to use the old hard drive with the virus to save some cash. but im afraid to hook it up to my current pc to format it because of the virus. would this endanger my pc and how should i go about getting the virus off the hard drive? just a heads up i dont have a boot up disc for windows because i bought my current pc used.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Eradicate the virus before you use it.

 

[Rogue Leader]

You need to hook that drive to something it can't infect. Your best bet is if you can get access to a PC and a bootable UNIX CD. Boot from the disc, and with the hard drive hooked up, format it from within UNIX.

I wouldn't let that drive within a sniff of Windows otherwise. Its a mess waiting to happen.

 

[USAFRet]

So my old computer had an encryption virus. the hard drive still works as far as i know, but i chucked the old pc as it was crap. i bought a new used pc and am currently awaiting new parts in the mail to build a gaming pc. so id like to use the old hard drive with the virus to save some cash. but im afraid to hook it up to my current pc to format it because of the virus. would this endanger my pc and how should i go about getting the virus off the hard drive? just a heads up i dont have a boot up disc for windows because i bought my current pc used.

Do NOT connect this to any system with a regular OS and other drives.

From a non-infected system, create either a Linux LiveCD or a DBAN cd.

Then, have only this infected drive connected, and boot from that CD you created.
Wipe the drive completely.

 

[pratte_55]

ok i have ubuntu on a flash gonna try to format the hard drive. thanks guys glad i asked here before doing anything rash.