Best Antivirus Rescue Disks
Many of the best antivirus providers provide a free bootable rescue disk that can be used to disinfect your system after an infection. These are Linux-based tools that can be used to clean any computer that is infected by malware when it isn’t able to start up or isn’t scanned by an antivirus program that is running on Windows. For simplicity I suggest the Kaspersky disk (though it’s not compatible with certain Dell systems).
You can also access similar features on the Avira or ESET rescue disks, which feature an interactive interface, but require an external USB or CD drive to boot. Both of these options will search for and decipher any malware that is present on your computer. However the virus definitions may not be updated as frequently as Rescue Disks that are Linux-based.
The Trend Micro Rescue Disk is another great choice. It’s also among the smaller disks on this list, at around 70MB. It doesn’t include a graphical user interface, however it runs quickly and has a variety of options for customization. These include the ability to scan and mount specific drives, files and even specific folders.
You can also get an effective virus scan using the Comodo rescue disk, but it’s not as flexibility of the options for Linux above. It is nevertheless an efficient tool for detecting and eliminating the kind of viruses that can hide themselves in Windows files to thwart detection by traditional antivirus programs. You can choose between either a text-only or a fully graphical interface as well as the option to run a custom or smart scan.