Reformatting a Netbook

[The_OG_Nelta]

My sister in law called me telling me that she thought her netbook got a virus, I don't quite know but It won't even let me see the specs on the laptop, everytime i try to click view system information it gives me a

C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe

same shit when i try to add or remove programs.

Scan shows nothing, every time I try to open up a program it gives me "Open with..?"

and its total bullshit, so i figured I would reformat.

Its a Dell Inspiron Mini, running windows XP home, and i'm guessing 32bit.

I got some XP .iso's and Win7 .iso nothing would work..
Any ideas?

Oh yeah, this thing doesn't have a cd-rom drive, so i used powerISO to mount the iso.

[Chrian]

search up how to install win7 on a flashdrive as a bootable drive and just install from there by setting the bios to load win7 from the flashdrive. I coulda sworn I saw the tutorial on here. But then again I could be hallucinating it. Thats your best bet. if it has no cd drive. Because if you mount win7 inside of xp and install it like that you would have to wipe xp which contains the win7 in the first place and the iso mounter. So yea search how to run it from a flashdrive.

[The_OG_Nelta]

got the 'virus' off, everything is running semi smoothly now.

[The_OG_Nelta]

okay i fix the virus, but still have no idea how to reformat this thing, so far I tried making a usb drive xp boot, but it still says "Can't find disk" etcetc. Any one have any ideas?

[viperlasson]

I had to format using an external hdd once cause the internal DVD drive was busted. I just extracted all the files and folders inside the iso to the root of the external (made sure "Show hidden files" was checked ON). Selected boot from USB and worked fine from there. I'm sure the install process wouldn't be much different on a flash drive. Need a big one though lol.

[levish]

okay i fix the virus, but still have no idea how to reformat this thing, so far I tried making a usb drive xp boot, but it still says "Can't find disk" etcetc. Any one have any ideas?

Did you correctly make a bootable USB drive?
Did you change the startup order in BIOS?

[The_OG_Nelta]

Did you correctly make a bootable USB drive?
Did you change the startup order in BIOS?

Yes and yes

[levish]

did you enable a option that should be called roughly "boot other devices"?

if the usb drive is setup correctly the only thing holding you back is setting up the netbook to boot from it, and at that point I would consult forums/faq's/tech support for that particular netbook manuf/model.

[The_OG_Nelta]

I see nothing like that in the bios, this shit is really starting to piss me off, it can't be this fucking hard to reformat a fucking netbook..

[Chicomagiko]

Haha, a slant getting mad at technology. Delicious. Protip: Its insanely easy to reformat a netbook. When you made changes in the bios, did you save your changes?(a lot of noobs make the mistake of not saving any changes)

[fishstix]

seriously?

[The_OG_Nelta]

Haha, a slant getting mad at technology. Delicious. Protip: Its insanely easy to reformat a netbook. When you made changes in the bios, did you save your changes?(a lot of noobs make the mistake of not saving any changes)

Wow have you read nothing in this thread? No shit I saved my changes, i've been working on this thing for 2 days. It's insanely easy to reformat anything dipshit, but not when this netbook won't open any applications, and no shit I saved the Bio's settings, i'm not that stupid.

Now get the fuck out

[Chicomagiko]

LOL. Stick to fisher price. A Dell is obviously too much for your fragile weeaboo mind.

[The_OG_Nelta]

mmkay

[levish]

try model specific tech support / forums imo. They'll guide you step by step through what you have to do to get up and running again.

[viperlasson]

LOL. Stick to fisher price. A Dell is obviously too much for your fragile weeaboo mind.

why so mad

[Kirbyprime]

Probably lost his job to someone in China

[Chicomagiko]

why so mad

Probably lost his job to someone in China

Seriously? This is the best you guys have to come at me with? LOL ya'll just as bad as that QQ'ing OP bitch ass. Hey Nelta, theres a sticky on this very section on how to get rid of most viruses. Might want to open them eyes a bit more and give that a look through instead of going for the oh so lazy "nuke everything and reinstall" option. Oh wait, you can't even do that.

[The_OG_Nelta]

Seriously? This is the best you guys have to come at me with? LOL ya'll just as bad as that QQ'ing OP bitch ass. Hey Nelta, theres a sticky on this very section on how to get rid of most viruses. Might want to open them eyes a bit more and give that a look through instead of going for the oh so lazy "nuke everything and reinstall" option. Oh wait, you can't even do that.

Because I haven't tried, amirite?

[toonces]

Like people have said, try to find a forum based on your netbook, can get good help there.

and hell even if I clean a virus off, i still nuke the computer after.