Today virus infections and malwares are complex scripts. They do everything to hide themselves from the antivirus and security software and in this process, they try to take control of the entire operating system.

Because of this, sometimes it is not possible to detect and clean an already infected system. Every virus scan from the already installed antivirus utility gives a clean shit, although virus is already present in the system.

In such cases, you might need a second opinion. Second opinion from outside, from a tool, which does not require to be installed on the infected computer but in the form of a portable virus scanner and antivirus, which can be run from say a USB Drive or a CD ROM. You can easily write protect your CD ROM or USB, and the virus on the computer will not be able to affect the portable virus scanner utility.

We have already carried a series of posts on various Free Portable Antivirus programs and you can have a look at them in the end of this post.

Stinger Portable Antivirus – Virus Scanner from McAfee

Yet another portable antivirus cun virus scanner is the Stinger Antivirus, which is developed and provided by the renowned security software vendor McAfee. It is a freeware portable antivirus and you can download it from here.

Stinger is a stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. It is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection, but rather a tool to assist administrators and users when dealing with an infected system. Stinger utilizes next generation scan engine technology, including process scanning, digitally signed DAT files, and scan performance optimizations.

There is one important point when you use Stinger. Many people ask, that Stinger has found a virus that it couldn’t repair. Why is this? This is most likely due to Windows System Restore functionality having a lock on the infected file. WindowsME/XP users should disable system restore prior to scanning.

[Download Stinger]

In this process they often paralyze the defense of your computer system and make the installed security software ineffective. It is often impossible for the installed security software to correctly detect them and remove them.

And in cases when the PC is so heavily infected that you cannot even boot it, then there is no other choice than to use a bootable Antivirus Disk.

Panda SafeCD – A Bootable Virus Scan Disk for both FAT and NTFS Drives

Panda Securities, the well known brand in the field of security software, have released a bootable virus scan Disk, which you can download absolutely free from their website.

This useful utility comes in handy when you need to clean a friend’s PC (or your own) from a malware infested state. It is specially useful for detecting and disinfecting malware infections which give regular AV products running within Windows a hard time.

These are the special features of Panda SafeCD.

• Automatic detection and removal of all types of malware.
• Boot from CD or USB stick.
• Supports using updated signature files.
• Supports 13 languages.
• Supports both FAT and NTFS drives.

Panda SafeCD is in the form of an ISO image file, which you have to download and burn into a CD with the help of a CD burning software.

The virus signature files included in the SafeCD are updated often, but there is no regular pattern of these updates. You cannot be sure that they are the latest one.

However, if you have a Panda Antivirus installed on your then the virus signature files get constantly updated. In such a case, Panda SafeCD uses the virus signature files contained in pav.sig files.

Yet another tool for your PC Security tool kit.

[Panda SafeCD Download]

Once booted, the antivirus and anti-malware software installed on the system are used to clean the infected PC. These CDs are generally in the form of an ISO image file, which can be downloaded from a specific vendor and used to burn a Cd with the help of a CD burning software.

These bootable malware removal disks can also be used to clean or scan a working computer also. Today’s malware threats are an intelligent breed. They alter your system files and make modifications to your Windows registry so as to make their detection difficult. They also paralyze the security software and anti virus applications already installed in your system. In such a situation also, the use of an external bootable malware cleaner is advantageous.

Ultimate Boot CD for Windows

When it comes to PC Security, it must be kept in mind that no single product provides you absolute security. It is always wise to rely on several security products, because you never know which malware is able to fool around a particular security software.

If you are not very comfortable to make several CD from different vendors, there is yet another option in the form of Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. It is a unique collection of some very useful software applications, which are a must for a person looking towards repairing or cleaning an unbootable computer.

Not only it contains some of the best free available security software, but it also contains host of other tools like Disk Repairing Tools, Defrag Tools, Diagnostics and Partition Management Tools, Security Tools, Recovery Tools etc. The list is huge and really impressive.

I am giving a list of Security Related tools available in this CD.

Anti-Spyware Tools

Security Tools

This is what they say about UBCD4Win.

UBCD4Win is a bootable recovery CD that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or diagnosing almost any computer problem. Our goal is to be the most complete and easy to use free computer diagnostic tool. Almost all software included in UBCD4Win are freeware utilities for Windows®. Some of the tools inlcuded are “free for personal use” copies so users need to respect these licenses. A few of the tools included in UBCD4Win are paid for and licensed software owned by UBCD4win. On occasion we work with software companies/authors for permission to include their software in our download or have requested their software better support PE.

And the best deal is that it is available for Free to download for non-commercial purposes.

[Download UBCD4Win]

But KAV Internet security provides you the real time protection. Many times we are faced in a situation, when the computer is so heavily infected, where it is not possible to even boot up the system, what to talk about using it and running the antivirus and security applications.

This has happened recently with one of my friend and I was contacted for help. The best solution in such a situation is to format the system and start afresh, but that solution was not applicable here, because that poor soul was not having the backup of her hard disk, which contained some of her research papers.

And so, I advised her to try her hand on one of the Bootable Antivirus CD Disk, about which I have already written in a series on this blog. I advised her to try her hand on KAV Rescue CD for Windows first, and I was happy to note that she was able to get her system operational within one day.

You can find a review of KAV Rescue CD for Windows on my blog.

Booting your infected computer with the help of a bootable virus cleaner CD Disk is often the only option when your computer has been crippled by virus activities to such an extent that you are not in a position even to bootup.

Even if you are able to boot up and use your computer, it is sometimes advisable to do a fresh boot from an external device like a CD or Pen Drive and run the anitivirus stored on it to clean your computer.

There are many security software vendors, who provide you free downloadable files, which can be used to prepare bootable anitivurs CDs for virus removal from an infected computer. VBA32 is a one such vendor, which is based in Belarus, and little known in English speaking users.

The VBA32 Rescue Disk contains a lighter version of Linux operating system, which allows it to boot on its own and run your computer during the virus scanning and cleaning process. It is in the form of an ISO image file (70 MB) available for downloading from their ftp-server. It includes release version of Console Scanner for Linux (Vba32.L), bash (command shell), MC (file manager) and user interface.

Vba32 Rescue supports auto-mounting including removable devices. NTFS state is checked during mounting and additional confirmation dialog is invoked provided 1. The partition was unmounted incorrectly and 2. The partition contains system memory image (hibernate).

It is a light-weight utility and supports FAT and NTFS systems.

[Download VBA Rescue v3.12]

In this series of posts, we have been reviewing several Antivirus Rescue Disk to be used as Recovery Tools for those computers, which have become so much infected that it is not even possible to boot them or use them for any meaningful purpose.

We have shown, how the use of a bootable virus scan disk is the only option left with in such cases. We have also stated, why the use of these System Rescue Disks is a wise choice even if you are able to boot and use your system, because they provide an alternative method of booting without allowing your original infected system files to load and take control of the entire system.

These Recovery Antivirus tools in the form of rescue disks are prepared by using a CD burning software to prepare a Bootable CD with the help of an ISO image file downloaded from the security software vendir websites.

Norton Recovery Antivirus Tool

There are many security vendors, who make these antivirus tools available free of cost. One such tools is also made available by the largest security vendor Symantec. It is named as Norton Recovery Tool. It is not to be confused with Norton Removal Tool, which is an entirely different product and is used only for the removal and un-installation of Norton Security Software from your computers.

Norton Recover Tool is unfortunately not free for all. It is available for free only to the genuine customers of some of the Norton’s products like Norton Antivirus 2009, Norton Internet Security 2009, Norton System Works and Norton 360. Anybody can download the ISO image file from Norton website, but during the operation, it requires you to enter the Product Key of the Norton products. You cannot use this recover tool, if you are not a customer of these Norton products.

Can I use Norton Recovery Tool instead of Regular Security Software

No. Norton Recovery tool does not provide you real time security. It is entirely different from regular security software, which get installed onto your system and provide you a comprehensive PC Security against viruses, spyware, trojans, rootkits, spam, phishing and many other such online threats. Norton Recovery Tool is to be used for cleaning an already infected computer, which has become almost non-operational due to heavy infections and it is not possible to clean it with the help of regular antivirus scan and cleaning.

There are lots of websites including many torrent sites, which offer you free download of Norton Recover Tool, but it is best to download it straight from the Symantec website. You will find a step-by-step instruction also on how to download, burn and use this tool.

Download Norton Recovery Tool for Norton AntiVirus or Norton Internet Security

Download Norton Recovery Tool for Norton 360

Antivirus Rescue CDs are specially burnt CD Disks, meant for the removal of malware and viruses from a system, which has gone so bad due to virus infections that it is not in a position to even boot up itself. These bootable CD Disks have a light weight version of some OS like Linux, which allows them to boot the system from these disks. They are made available by man of the security software vendors in the form of an ISO file, which you can download for free and burn on your CD through a CD burning software.

Advantages of Antivirus Rescue CD

There are lots of advantages of using an Antivirus Rescue CD. In fact there are cases, when the use of an Antivirus Rescue CD is the only option left for cleaning your computer from malware and viruses. For instance…

1. As already said, if you are not in a position to boot up your system due to heavy virus infections, then the use of these bootable virus scan CDs is the only option left.
2. If you are able to boot up your system, but the viruses are not allowing your installed version of antivirus to operate, and is also not allowing you to install a fresh version of your antivirus, then also use of a rescue Cd is the only option left with.
3. Since these external CD Disks are write protected, any attempt by the virus to infect this is not possible. Even if you are running these Disks through a USB Sticks, you can easily make them write protected to safeguard against any infection of the Rescue Disk itself.
4. When you are using these Rescue Disks, the operating system already installed in your infected computer is not allowed to take control of your system. This means that the infected system files are not controlling the system and thus the virus is lying dormant within your system. In this state its potency is completely crippled and it is much easier to kill it.

Kaspersky Antivirus Rescue CD

Kaspersky, arguably the best antivirus suite today provides you one such free download rescue CD. It is in the form of an .iso file, which you can download and easily burn through a CD burning software. Unlike a few of its compatriots, it does not contain a full blown version of the Linux Operating System, but only the part, which allows you to run the Antivirus Rescue CD.

When loading the Kaspersky Antivirus Rescue CD will try Ethernet networking to enable online update of virus signatures.The rescue CD does not have support for RAID and disks and dynamic volumes in Windows.therefore possible that the letters of the discs and USB devices are not exactly the same as those displayed by the operating system.The

The standard security software like Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 allow you to also create your own Rescue Disk. However, the rescue disk created with those installed version of security software are designed to restore system functionality on the computer that it was created on and none other. But the Antivirus Rescue CD downloaded from the Kaspersky website allows you to restore any computer.

Download Kaspersky Rescue Disk: http://dnl-eu10.kaspersky-labs.com/devbuilds/RescueDisk/

Download Manual Virus definition updates: http://www.kaspersky.com/avupdates

Step-by-Step Procedure: http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1139761.htm

There are times when you come across a computer, which is so heavily infected with malware and viruses that it is not even possible to boot it up. The first thing, which comes to mind is to format it and start afresh.

Formatting such a system is a good approach only if you are having a complete and latest backup of your important data. But if you are not having it, then you should try to rescue the system with an external drive malware cleaning tool. There are few reputed security vendors, which provide you free tools, which can clean such heavily infected computers. You have to download them, and save them in CDs to make bootable disks. They have a light operating system like Linux contained within, and can boot and clean your infected computer.

F-Secure Rescue CD

The well known security software vendor, F-Secure also provides you a a complete bootable Recuee Disk in the form of a ZIP file, which contains an ISO image, the manual and release notes. You will have to burn this ISO image file onto a CD with the help of a CD burning software. You can find lots of freeware CD burning software on the Internet for free download.

• Rescue CD will by default scan:
  • all hard drives in the computer
  • all USB drives attached to the computer
  • Windows FAT and NTFS drives
• Virus definition databases are updated automatically if the computer has an internet connection
• Virus definition databases can be updated manually by using a USB drive
• The Rescue CD Guide (pdf) has step by step instructions how to use the CD

Rescue CD scans the computer and renames all files containing malware to .virus file extension.

As you can see that F-Secure Rescue Disk changes the file names of infected files, there are chances that your important system files, which were infected, have now been re-named and your system is not able to boot up even after the cleaning. In such a situation, it is suggested that you try to restore your system by running operating system repair disk to reinstall the operating system.

F-Secure Bootable Antivirus CD has the capability to software update its virus signature file when you start using it. Before making use of it, make sure that you have a working Internet connection. It will download the updated files on its own. There is also an option to download the updated virus signature file on your own and include in this CD.

Shortcomings of F-Secure Rescue Disk

However, there are two shotrcomings with F-Secure Virus scan boot disk.

F-Secure Rescue CD is localized to English only.

It is not able to scan and clean your computer if your hard disk is encrypted with with encryption software including Windows Vista BitLocker disk encryption.

There is a nice video, which lets you know how to use F-Secure Bootable Antivirus CD Disk to scan and clean a heavily infected PC.

A useful tool for your PC Security.

[Download F Secure Rescue Disk v3.01]

Virus Removal and Scan is a complex process. The first thing which today’s visuses and malware do is to make their detection difficult by disabling security software and system files. They get loaded as soon as you boot up your system and take control of the entire system.

In such a situation, detection of them through the traditional security software already installed in your system is very difficult, because their potency is already crippled by the presence of malware.

Virus Scan CDs – The Wise Choice

If you find such a system, whose condition is so deteriorated that it is not able to run properly or even not able to boot, the first thing, which comes to mind to rescue the computer is to format the hard disk and start refresh. It is a good option, but only if you have current backup of all your important data. Otherwise, it is a nightmare.

Your only choice in this case can be to use a bootable virus scan and rescue CD, which can initialize your system through an external device and can do a complete scan of your system. This way, the virus infections present in your system cannot take control of your system and can be detected and cleaned easily.

Dr. Web Live CD – A Smart Choice

Dr. Web Live CD is a free download in the form of an ISO file, which is an excellent tool to ensure your PC Security by cleaning an infected system effectively. If you are not sure how to use the rescue CD image file, there is a step by step tutorial at their website, which will guide you through the process.

Dr.Web LiveCD is an anti-virus emergency aid disk that would restore a system that became non-operational due to activities of malware and help copy important information to a removable data-storage device or to another computer. If a workstation or a server running Windows\Unix won’t boot from a hard drive, Dr.Web LiveCD will clean a system of suspicious and malicious files and will also try to cure infected objects.

Dr. Web Live CD gets its software updated regularly. So it is not advisable to download it today for a later use. You can bookmark the page and use it whenever you want to use it. I have not seen it, but probably it is also having an update feature, which you can use even after you have prepared the bootable antivirus CD. This CD is having linux operating system for its functionality.

[Download Dr.Web LiveCD]

There is a useful video on Youtube on how to use Dr. Web Live CD.

Virus removal has become a very complex process today. Gone are the days, when you were required to download a standalone antivirus and it was sufficient for days for your PC Security from virus attacks.

But today’s malware attacks are intelligent. The first thing they do on your system is to make fool proof arrangements for hiding themselves. They modify your system files to make their detection absolutely impossible and get loaded during the boot process itself to take control of your entire system. At times, the system might become so much infected that it may be impossible even to boot it in a regular manner.

Many user think of formatting their system as the only option left. But if you have some important data, which has not yet been backup up, then this option also is a very difficult one to exercise.

In such a situation, you can try to use a bootable antivirus rescue disk, which can boot your system from an external drive and bypass your hard disk during the booting process. This avoids the malware infection to get loaded and take control of your system. it is lying dormant and it is easy for the antivirus stored in the bootable rescue disk to clean your system.

BitDefender Rescue CD – A Useful Choice

BitDefender, the renowned security software vendor, provides a free utility with the name of BitDefender Rescue CD for cleaning your system through a bootable antivirus. It is in the form of an ISO file, which you can use with a CD burning software to create your own Rescue Disk. It uses the open source Linux Operating System to operate and so is light-weight on system resources.

Before the anti-virus application launch, its software update feature will check for the virus definition file and download the latest virus definition file from internet before start scanning the computer.

Not only this, BitDefender Rescue CD also contains other useful third party utilities such as ChkRootkit for scanning for rootkis, Nessus Network Scanner as remote network security scanner, Mozilla Firefox, Partition Image, GtkRecover etc., which make it a complete package for any virus attack recovery plan.

There is a detailed step-by-step guide to help you out for the installation and use of BitDefender Rescue Image CD.

[Download BitDefender Rescue CD]