boot sector virus on XP

[tracelip]

I'm trying to format and reload a white box system.
There was a keylogger in Add or Remove.
The motherboard has an anti-virus program in the firmware.
I delete and recreate the 8GB partition.
After the XP CD copies setup files and reboots, I get
.
TrendChipAway has detected a boot virus on this hard drive.
.
When I attempt to continue, the system boots to the cd and starts the entire process over.
When I encountered this error the 2nd time, I removed the cd, continued, and the system booted to the install and prompted me for the cd....BUT!
.
The system seems to be indicating that I actually have a hardware virus here.
Now, I HAVE HEARD that there is actually a way to re-write the master boot record on XP.
Anybody know it?
Any suggestions?
Any possibility this is a false error?
The reload is going ahead.
The plans are to network this system to a system that goes online.
As such, I am hesitant to just turn off the anti-virus app.
Otherwise, I figure I'll just sell him my old 12GB.

[glc]

Turn OFF the bios antivirus - that's the ONLY way it's going to write a new boot sector - which is what you need to do. You cannot repartition or reformat a drive with this utility active.

I'd zero fill the hard drive then start over.

[ITlover]

GLC, I have a DELL Computer with the following configuration:

OS:WinXP with SP2
RAM: 128 MB
HDD: 10 GB
Processor : 1 Ghz

Can you please let me know where can I find the option for anti-virus in BIOS ?

[Cricket]

GLC, I have a DELL Computer with the following configuration:

OS:WinXP with SP2
RAM: 128 MB
HDD: 10 GB
Processor : 1 Ghz

Can you please let me know where can I find the option for anti-virus in BIOS ?The Dell may not have that option. Have you looked around in the BIOS for it?

:) Cricket

[ITlover]

Cricket, I didnot understand what he meant by saying that his motherboard has anti-virus program? Is he talking about a CD that has anti-virus program?

[Cricket]

Some motherboards have a very simple boot sector "anti-virus" detection option in the BIOS to prevent boot sector viruses from being installed on your computer.

:) Cricket

[rjfvillarosa]

Some motherboards have a very simple boot sector "anti-virus" detection option in the BIOS to prevent boot sector viruses from being installed on your computer.

:) CricketOn most of the machines I have worked on it is PCcillin and if it is enabled it shows up on the BIOS screen.
When you are attempting to install an OS it needs to write data to the boot sector of your harddrive and if the "BIOS simple antivirus" is active it sees this as virus actvity and prevents it, thus stalling the install.
Dell's can be a little restrictive as to BIOS access and you may need to remove a motherboard jumper or find out how to circumvent the BIOS security in order to access the BIOS so that you can disable the antivirus, simply resetting the BIOS will not be the way to go as the antivirus is probably enabled by default.