Best boot cd virus removal

It can run on a system that has been heavily corrupted to the point that it no longer functions. Then you insert the removable device into the corrupted computer and the rescue tool program should be able to start up, allowing you to run a scan. Indeed, there are a ton of free solutions out there. Here, we reveal the top options available. Simply scroll down to find out more about each tool.

ESET provides you with a desktop environment similar to what most Windows users will be used to. There are two main types of scans available. Smart scans enable you to limit your scan to areas of the system most likely to house malware. Custom scans allow you to run in-depth scans of the whole computer or certain areas of the drive. And there are lots of other ways to customize.

For example, you can scan without cleaning and have control over quarantined items. Advanced settings include selecting certain types of objects to scan for example, archives, email files, or boot sectors as well as applying exclusions and time limits on scans of large files. Other options include heuristics which uses an algorithm to detect previously unknown viruses and detection of potentially unwanted programs PUPs.

Aside from running the antivirus tool, you can also check for defects using the disk analysis tool and use a memory test to check for RAM errors. Other bundled programs include the Chrome browser, GParted a partition manager , and TeamViewer for remote access. Of course, all these extras could look complex to beginners and they result in a fairly large download file of over MB.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk is one of the most customizable tools on this list. It has lots of options including letting you choose to scan certain folders, specific boot sectors useful for finding particularly well-hidden malware , fileless objects, or the entire drive. You can also scan files with certain extensions and specify exclusions. This tool looks for a range of malware types including worms, viruses, trojans, adware, and more.

There are two modes to choose from; plain text or graphical. While the graphical user interface is easier to navigate, the text-based version can be useful in some cases, for example, if you have a low-power device.

The latter can be used to explore your file system and perform actions such as copying or deleting files. These extras may be helpful for some users, but they do bloat the download.

It has a very small file size at just over 50 MB. In spite of this, you still have the option between a GUI or plain-text interface and ample customizations.

Scan options include full scan, smart scan, or custom scan. It also lets you set size limits to skip large files. Other options include heuristic scanning and checking archives. This tool updates automatically when connected to the internet. However, these factors do mean the file size is one of the smaller on this list at around MB, so you can be up and running quite quickly. There are two scan types: Recommended Scan and Advanced Scan.

The main difference between the two is that an Advanced Scan will remove infected files, whereas the Recommend Scan allows you to either rename infected files or display a list of malicious items that were detected. You can manually remove malicious items using the Bash Shell option; you just need to know the location of the offending items.

Trend Micro Rescue Disk is one of the simplest tools available. This makes it a very practical solution as the download size is very compact at just 70MB.

Although simplicity is good for less tech-savvy users, some may miss the advanced customization options provided by others on this list. And while Trend Micro Rescue Disk is simple, it only comes with a plain-text interface which can be a little intimidating. That said, Trend Micro has an excellent reputation in the antivirus world, consistently ranking highly with testing sites such as AV-Comparatives and AV-Test.

As such, you can be confident this tool will be efficient and reliable. Avast Rescue Disk can only be created from within another Avast product. Already have Avast installed? Smart scan checks for viruses and rootkits in the memory, boot sectors, autorun entries, and other areas like the registry and system folder.

A custom scan lets you choose individual files and folders to scan instead of an entire drive. You can also scan archives, enable heuristics scanning, and skip files over a specified size. It's a plus that Comodo Rescue Disk includes a familiar Desktop-like interface because it makes it easier to use than some of these other text-based scanning tools. Web LiveDisk is a feature-filled free bootable virus scanner for Windows and Linux. There are plenty of configurable settings, like choosing the actions Dr.

Web should take when finding infected, suspicious, or incurable files. Also, you can set what should occur in the event it detects specific issues like adware, dialers, jokes, hacktools, and riskware. The program lets you exclude directories from being scanned, set how large a file can be before it's excluded from a scan, and define a maximum duration Dr. Web is allowed to spend scanning a single file. We like that Dr. Web can check for virus definition updates directly from the program.

This means you can reuse the software in the future and all you have to do is update it before you do a scan. Kaspersky has what's called a Rescue Disk , which can scan for viruses, worms, Trojans, malicious tools, adware, dialers, and other malicious items. You can pick between using the graphical mode recommended or the text-only mode. Your scan options include Fileless objects, Startup objects, and System drive. You can also scan boot sectors and specific folders.

Kaspersky's tool can also browse through the file system to copy or delete files. The Firefox browser is also built in, among many other tools.

The only downfall is that the file is rather large, and may, therefore, take some time to download. Panda Rescue ISO is a program that allows the free Panda Cloud Cleaner program to scan a computer without any other running processes that could potentially shut it down and prevent a virus scan.

Next, your computer will reboot into Windows but launch the cleaner before any other applications start. All other processes are shut down so that this program is less likely to be terminated by a virus. One problem with this tool is that it may not work properly if a virus has infected your computer so deeply that you can't even boot into Windows. If this is the case, you'll want to try any of the other tools in this list that don't require Windows to start.

Not many custom settings or options are available in Sophos Bootable Anti-Virus except choosing one of two different scan types. A Recommended Scan can either rename infected files or just display a log of the malicious items that were found. An Advanced Scan will actually remove any infected files it detects.

There's also a Bash Shell menu option for manually removing viruses. This option is only useful if you know where the malicious items are, which isn't very likely. You must answer several questions before you can get to the download link.

You must read the instructions carefully in order to download the program. It ends up requiring a few hundred megabytes of free space.

Trend Micro Rescue Disk is another free bootable antivirus tool that doesn't have a graphical interface, meaning you'll need to navigate entirely in text mode with the arrow keys. You can run a quick scan or a full scan, depending on what areas you'd like checked.

Trend Micro Rescue Disk is first downloaded as a regular program file that includes the bootable software. It works in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. Windows Defender Offline is a bootable virus scanner from Microsoft that sports a full user interface. You can update the virus definitions directly from the disc, view quarantined files, and exclude files, folders, and extension types from scans. Windows Defender Offline supports quick virus scans, full scans, and custom scans so that you can choose your own folders and drives to scan.

The Windows Defender Offline tool from the download page can burn the software to a disc or USB device for you, so no image burning software is necessary. Microsoft says the directions on the download page are for Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 users. LiveCD can scan entire drives or whole folders only, so it won't scan just single files. There's an option to check for viruses in potentially dangerous file types like executables so that you're not scanning every single file type, which could take a long time.

A utility called Zillya! We like all the settings that are included in Zillya! LiveCD as well as the fact that it provides a very easy to use interface. Click it!

This will bring you to a new window where the infectious files will be listed. Ensure ALL infections have a check mark beside them. Once you have checked everything, click the Remove Selected button. I know this has been a long and drawn-out process. However, viruses have become very advanced, and when they completely prevent you from working directly on your hard drive and regular operating system, this method starts to look pretty good, in lieu of wiping and reloading the machine.

From here, you can go to Start and then Shut Down , and boot your computer regularly into your hard drive. There should not be a need to go back to the boot menu.

If you fell into the case where you had to modify your default boot priority by going into BIOS, repeat the steps you took to get into BIOS, and put your Hard Drive back as the first boot device. Your computer should now be virus-free and back to working conditions.

Do note, however, that many viruses can cause irreversible damage to your operating system. Luckily, most are simply spam and malware that are attempting to sell you something and do not cause internal damage. If you have removed the virus but still find your computer functioning improperly, you may have been one of the unlucky ones and acquired a malicious virus whose purpose is to cause problems within the system. If this is the case, then backing up your data and reloading your operating system may be the final solution.

Your participation helps us to help others. By visiting this site, users agree to our disclaimer. The members, admins, and authors of this website respect your privacy. All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. Aaron St. When he's not tinkering with new gadgets, modding systems, or slaving away at the mercy of the Tech-Recipe overlords, you can find him exploring the high country. View more articles by Aaron St.

The Conversation Follow the reactions below and share your own thoughts. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Apple Mac iPhone.