Will cleanall delete/overwrite MBR/BootSector?

Hello,

I did some searching and reading of tutorials and just want to make sure I understand what I'm interested in learning.

I might have been infected with some malware or virus etc and I want to wipe the drive and ensure that there are no rootkits hiding anywhere in the MBR or boot sector or at the end of the disk drive.

From what I've read, it appears that a clean or cleanall command from diskpart will do what I need.

Is this true?

Thank you in advance!

PS the tutorials are awesome. Thank you to all who contribute and take the time to put that information together for noobies like me to learn.

Best,

Fox

Perfect! Thank you for your help and quick response.

Best,

Fox

Thank you for the added info addram.

I've run into a wall and was hoping I could get some additional help. If I should start a new thread please let me know. apologies in advance.

I'm trying to figure out how to perform a cleanall on my hdd installed in my laptop. I read this tutorial:

Command Prompt at Startup

and to start diskpart I need to be able to access command prompt.

The tutorial gives 2 was to get into command prompt. The first way suggests using the windows install/repair disk. The problem is I do not have a windows installation or repair disc to use to boot command prompt. I have a lenovo which came with this software called onekey recovery and the factory recovery disc I burned when I first got the laptop boots into the onekey recovery software with no option for command prompt. I even tried shift+f10. no luck.

The other option it says to use is enter safe mode with cmd prompt. But if I'm running cleanall, would that eventually delete the data that the computer is using to run in safe mode cmd prompt? I don't think I can run command prompt on the "system drive". The OS will likely block that attempt right?

What options do I have?

I've read that I might need to connect my hdd to another computer via a sata adapter or something and use that other computer to run the cleanall function on my connected hdd. This can't be the only way right?

Maybe the only other feasible option is to download a copy of windows 7 and place it on a bootable USB drive? Then use that usb drive to boot windows into command prompt and then use the cleanall function?

Thank you in advance.

Oh duh! aha! Thank you, I think the system repair disc should do the trick. I just hope if there is any malware that it doesn't infect the repair disc and eventually end back up on my hdd after a cleanall function in diskpart.

By chance would you know the size of the repair disc? I would like to figure out how many dvd's I need. I dont have any at the moment but can stop at the store and pick up a small pack if that's what it takes to get this done right.

Again, thank you. I appreciate your help. I majored in a different subject, but I always wish I went into computer science or engineering and picked up a few programming languages. This stuff interests me very much and I enjoy learning about it through tutorials and research online.

Again, duh! Why can't i think of these things myself? I appreciate your patience with me. Haha My mom has a windows 7 pc which should be clean. But her version is 32bit and my version is 64bit. I don't believe it will make a difference, right?