# will reformatting get rid of all my spyware? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570 "2004-10-16T19:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vinniepaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vinniepaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vinniepaz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/1 "2004-10-16T19:26:56Z")
im sure this question has been asked, but the search feature just does not work for me. will reformatting my computer rid me of all spyware? thanks ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/2 "2004-10-16T19:29:32Z")
Of course. But there are less drastic ways. I’m a bit out of date on the tools but there are some in my sig. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/3 "2004-10-16T19:30:19Z")
Depends what you mean by “reformatting”. If you mean \*\*format c:\*\*, then yes, it will kill everything. If you mean redo the install via a Windows installation disk, then there’s a chance something might remain. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/4 "2004-10-16T19:30:35Z")
Whoops. There _were_ some in my sig. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/5 "2004-10-16T19:32:49Z")
Yes. It will also rid you of all your legit software, personal files and OS. Nevertheless, if you back up all your files and have all your hardware, software and OS installation disks, there’s no reason a format and reinstall can’t be reasonably painless. I do it myself about once a year. If you want some more detailed advice, tell us what system you have, what OS you use, and do you have a proper OS installation CD or do you have a so-called Recovery Disk that may computer system manufacturers bundle with their systems? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/6 "2004-10-16T19:34:08Z")
Boobs cure spyware! Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/7 "2004-10-16T19:35:26Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Boobs cure spyware! Who knew? They probably contribute to the problem. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/8 "2004-10-16T20:08:26Z")
Depends how you recover after the format. If you do fresh installs (from discs) that might protect you… but then again, the spyware had to get onto the system somehow, so you might just end up re-installing it. You’d probably do well enough to just run AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy. And Windows Update. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/9 "2004-10-16T21:31:35Z")
Note that there are a few “products” that claim they can survive a formatting. Apparently they try to sneak something into the book sector. The way I do a clean format/reinstall, I don’t see how that’s possible. But it might be a good idea to have a virus scan done that includes checking the boot sector before doing the format. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/10 "2004-10-17T03:07:36Z")
Wouldn’t a boot sector virus be deleted if you repartitioned as part of the reinstall process? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/11 "2004-10-17T03:52:42Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > Wouldn’t a boot sector virus be deleted if you repartitioned as part of the reinstall process? Yes, but his point was that if you _do_ have a boot sector virus, then it’s resident in memory and will rewrite itself back to the boot sector after the format is completed. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-reformatting-get-rid-of-all-my-spyware/269570/12 "2004-10-17T14:23:29Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > Wouldn’t a boot sector virus be deleted if you repartitioned as part of the reinstall process? It depends on the program used to partition the disk. Some will write a new boot sector, some wont, with some it’s a separate command. Some programs will write a new boot sector only if they don’t detect one already on the disk.