Is it true that there are malware that can actually brick a pc, ie render it unusable, unfixable, so you have to either buy new hardware or basically just throw the computer in the trash? Or are all malware curable software-wise, ie at worst you just have to reformat the hard drive, reinstall operating system and start all over again? The reason I ask: I have a not at all tech-savvy (Windows 7-using) friend who's been talking to me on the phone, crying that a virus or something has killed her computer and she has to buy a new one. Can I assure her that when I visit next week I will be able to make her computer work again, even if it means I have to reformat the hard drive and install Ubuntu? Or are her fears possibly justified?