Reinstall help Window 7 please

[kawmd]

Dell Vostro laptop, Dual core CPU, Windows 7 professional, 32 bit OS.  I have a virus that prevents me form loggin in on any user.  Even in safe mode.  Microsoft security essentials found it then it went berserck and took over logins.  I reinstalled Windows 7 from the disc and now when I boot it up I see 2 copies of Windows 7 listed as choices.  The first one is the new one, the second is the evil one.  Can I delete the evil one?  How please.  Is there anyway to get the Office 2003 off clean from evil one as it was not on any of the discs?  I've read the forums for the past week and really can't find this particular question so if I missed it please direct me.  I tried Microsofts help sites with no luck. 

I'm not really a techie, just not afraid to try stuff.......

[Allan]

Start from scratch. Boot to the W7 DVD and choose the option to format before installing.

[kawmd]

thank you  I will try this today

[mountainLion]

My experience with Windows is whenever you got a virus, the best way to fix it is do what Allan suggested - a clean reinstallation. The reason for that is depends on how vicious the virus is, some of them might install vicious files(codes) deep into the OS, no matter how you try to clean it up, there is no guarantee and no way to tell whether you have all malice files removed thus will cause problems in long run. So make sure you have backed up all your important documents at all time.

The other strategy I suggest to my customers is, if you are somewhat tech savvy, try to buy a barebone external hard drive of the same size as your internal drive, once you do a clean reinstallation, before you even get on the net, make a clone of the boot drive to your new external drive. This way you can preserve all your documents and applications, thus provide you a way to do a rapid recovery without going through the painful process of reinstall all your applications. All you need to do is to swap the external drive with the contaminated internal drive - the boot drive.

Hope this helps.

[kawmd]

Thank you both.  I reinstalled with the format option which I did not notice the first time around [but it really was the FIRST time I did this!].  I do back up important document to an external hard drive but not programs which would have been extremely helpful here since I have now lost my Microsoft Office completely.  Oh well, at least I don't have to get a new computer. 

I am thankful for this forum for learners like me.  Bless those of you who share your knowledge.  I also do this but on a site called Health tap for asking docs about their illnesses and symptoms. 

[Allan]

  I do back up important document to an external hard drive but not programs which would have been extremely helpful here since I have now lost my Microsoft Office completely.

It wouldn't have mattered. Programs have to be installed from scratch after a format.

[maxabhi]

i think u must format your laptop both earlier and newer window...and use avast antiviurs...

[Allan]

You may safely ignore the above post.

[mountainLion]

Hello kawmd, yes for this time you do need to format your entire drive thus lose all your applications, which is pain in the *censored*. But after you do a clean reinstallation and get all the drivers ready, before you download anything to your clean installation, go to this link download this free until from Western Digital, http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&type=download&lang=en called Acronis True Image WD. Although it says WD, it works on any USB external harddrive, very nifty, make an image of your clean drive, so you can recover from any virus attack rapidly and save you from going bald! 

[patio]

And the hits just keep on comin...