Can't clean install

[mazzy]

I posted earlier because I thought I had a virus, but no one else seems to think so. However, everything has gone to hell, and I still can't resolve my problems. I've tried several times, unsuccessfully, to do a clean install. I've zero'd the disk, but still have some unremovable files. No software that I download and install works like it's supposed to. Cache cleaners don't remove cache, etc. Some programs won't even mount, giving various reasons, from codec errors to "device not configured" errors. Terminal doesn't work right either. Using Peek-a-Boo (to view which processes are running), it shows the command for Terminal is /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal -psn_0_6029313

and it uses these processes--

/Users/roxy
/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFUnicodeData-L.mapping
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFCharacterSetBitmaps.bitmap
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFUniCharPropertyDatabase.data
/Library/Caches/com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.sbdl.501
/System/Library/Fonts/LucidaGrande.dfont
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Extras2.rsrc
/System/Library/Contextual Menu Items/AutomatorCMM.plugin/Contents/MacOS/AutomatorCMM
/System/Library/Contextual Menu Items/FolderActionsMenu.plugin/Contents/MacOS/FolderActionsMenu
/System/Library/Contextual Menu Items/SpotlightCM.plugin/Contents/MacOS/SpotlightCM
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/HIToolbox.rsrc
/Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices-014501.csstore
/usr/share/icu/icudt32l.dat
/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.IntlDataCache.le.kbdx
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/System/Library/Extensions/AppleHDA.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleHDAHALPlugIn.bundle/Contents/MacOS/AppleHDAHALPlugIn
/System/Library/Components/CoreAudio.component/Contents/MacOS/CoreAudio
/usr/lib/dyld
/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreText.framework/Versions/A/CoreText
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ATS.framework/Versions/A/ATS
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/CoreGraphics
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation
/usr/lib/libicucore.A.dylib
/usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib
/usr/lib/libstdc++.6.0.4.dylib
/usr/lib/libgcc_s.1.dylib
/usr/lib/libauto.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonCore.framework/Versions/A/CarbonCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OSServices.framework/Versions/A/OSServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/Security.framework/Versions/A/Security
/System/Library/Frameworks/DiskArbitration.framework/Versions/A/DiskArbitration
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreAudio.framework/Versions/A/CoreAudio
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/AE.framework/Versions/A/AE
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ColorSync.framework/Versions/A/ColorSync
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/QD.framework/Versions/A/QD
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/LaunchServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Versions/A/ImageIO
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libJP2.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libTIFF.dylib
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DesktopServicesPriv.framework/Versions/A/DesktopServicesPriv
/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Versions/C/Foundation
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/SecurityHI.framework/Versions/A/SecurityHI
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OpenScripting.framework/Versions/A/OpenScripting
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox
/System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/AppKit
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreData.framework/Versions/A/CoreData
/System/Library/Frameworks/AudioToolbox.framework/Versions/A/AudioToolbox
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuartzCore.framework/Versions/A/QuartzCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreVideo.framework/Versions/A/CoreVideo
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libCGATS.A.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libCSync.A.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libRIP.A.dylib
/usr/lib/libncurses.5.4.dylib
/dev/null
/dev/console
/dev/console
apple.shm.notification_center
/tmp/com.apple.csseed.64
apple.shm.notification_center
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Extras2.rsrc
/dev/urandom


/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/Resources/Terminal.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/HIToolbox.rsrc
/dev/ptyp1
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc


So........... is this normal?

Sorry to be such a pain!

[Giaguara]

Partition the hard drive when booted from install disc (insert it, restart, hold down C to boot from it, then Utilities > Disk Utility when booted to install disc). After partitioning erase and install should be possible to select.

[mazzy]

I've done that over and over.

[Giaguara]

So you have partitioned the disc, and after that still the installation fails? O_o

Are you using the install disc that came wiht your Mac or a separately purchased one? 10.4 or 10.5 disc? Are there any scratches on that disc? If it's 10.5, can you install the OS the Mac came with?

At what exact point does the installation fail? Do you get a specific error message (also from installation console view there should be an error description available)

If you try with the installation disc checkup (without skipping in beginning of installation), does that fail too?

Are you running that Mac with the RAM it came with or have you added any extra? (maybe try without extra RAM or run RAM tests in AHT)

[mazzy]

I've partitioned the disk, and zero's the disk, but I can still see my files still there, so it's only faking that it's partitioning and zeroing. This is why I think I have a virus, because it's not going away, and pretending to overwrite files, but not really overwriting them.

I have 2 automounts that won't unmount.
Peek-a-Boo show the full commands as
/usr/sbin/automount -f -m /Network -nsl -mnt /private/var/automount
and
/usr/sbin/automount -f -m /automount/Servers -fstab -mnt /private/Network/Servers -m /automount/static -static -mnt /private/var/automount

Thanks for your help!

[Giaguara]

Hm.
In the options for formatting the hard drive, select the 35-times write on the disk. That will take some time, but will write everywhere on the disk for 35 times, making seeing any applications rather impossible.

Or log in single user mode, and

rm -rf *

[mazzy]

Thanks......I'll give that a try and let you know the results.

[mazzy]

Well, after overwriting 35 times, those files immediately reappeared, leaving me again suspicious that I have a virus that is not allowing the disk to be overwritten, only re-installing itself. I'm not extremely knowledgable, so correct me if I'm wrong, but can't OS X be saved on a partition and installed from within, and not from the cd/dvd? Is it possible that this is happening on my machine? What is an infinite loop, and could I have it going on here? What is Zbootermnt? After my 35 writes, I still had /var/tmp showing 50 mounts and 1 Zbootermnt. Right now, in /private/tmp/ I have 140 files named WebKitPluginStreamxxxxxx. I still have the 2 automounts. They are servers, which points to localhost, which points to my entire drive, and static, which does the same. Most of my files are owned by system - wheel.

I'm really desperate, and greatly appreciate the help.