Best Antivirus Rescue Disks
A majority of the top antivirus providers offer a bootable recovery disk that can be used to clean your computer after it has been infected. These are Linux-based software that can be used to cleanse a computer infected with malware, if it’s unable to boot up or cannot be scanned by an antivirus program that runs on Windows. I recommend the Kaspersky disc due to its ease of use (though it may not work with certain Dell systems).
If you prefer, you can pick up the same set of features from the Avira and ESET rescue disks which also have a graphical user interface however, they require the use of a CD or USB device to boot. Both of these options will analyze and detect any malware that is present on your computer. However their virus definitions may not be regularly updated like the rescue disks based on Linux.
The Trend Micro Rescue Disk is a great alternative. It’s also one of the slimmest disks on this list, at about 70MB. It doesn’t have a graphical user interface but it does work quickly and offers a few options for customization, including the ability to mount and scan specific files, drive volumes and even individual folders.
You can also get a good virus scan from the Comodo rescue disk although it doesn’t have quite the flexibility of the alternatives based on Linux. It’s an extremely effective tool to detect and eliminate the kind of viruses that hide in Windows files, preventing detection by normal antivirus software. You can use an interface that is text-only or a full-graphical interface. You can also perform a smart scan, or a custom scan.
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