Linux Live CDs to remove viruses?

[aimeeandbeatles]

I've heard (or it could have been something else, and this popped into my head) about people getting really nasty viruses on Windows, not being able to remove since it's locked in memory (or whatever you call it), and using Knoppix (or some Linux Live CD) to manually remove them. This is assuming they know where all the files are.

Has anybody here tried it; if so, did it work?.

EDIT: Googled it and came up with this.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Any modern distro should be able to do this. Even Ubuntu would work (though 700mb is a bit much to simply get outside access to a Windows partiton(s)). You need a distro with NTFS read/write abilities and you're good to go, as long as you know where all the infected files are. A better suggestion is to get an antivirus that can do a boot-time scan. That way, Windows hasnt loaded much/anything into memory yet, so your antivirus has free reign over the files.

 

[Shadylookin]

a linux distro with the ability to read/write ntfs(ubuntu comes with it by default) can modify a windows partition, but its unlikely your windows anti-virus is going to run on linux(I've never tried running one under wine so I might be wrong). There are anti-virus programs for linux to scan for windows viruses however I've heard nothing but bad things about the free virus scanners so you'd likely have to pay.

 

[mrt144]

If you get a virus like this it is presumably time to block certain websites up the chain.

 

[plarq]

Why use Linux to remove virus for Windows?

If you do not care about data in Disk C:

Format C and reinstall Windows.

If you do care about data in Disk C:

Remove your hard drive, mount to another machine and scan.

If you do not have another machine, or you cannot remove your hard drive:

Find a way to install WinPE (Windows Pre-installed Environment) or equalivent, then install your anti virus and scan.

 

[Grisu]

Why use Linux to remove virus for Windows?

If you do not care about data in Disk C:

Format C and reinstall Windows.

If you do care about data in Disk C:

Remove your hard drive, mount to another machine and scan.

If you do not have another machine, or you cannot remove your hard drive:

Find a way to install WinPE (Windows Pre-installed Environment) or equalivent, then install your anti virus and scan.

or you simply pop in a linux live-cd and go from there...much easier than any of the three options you mentioned...

I've personally used Knoppicillin to that end (and to remove rootkits). Knoppicillin is a Knoppix-Based Live-CD by the german computer mag C't. Unfortunately it's only available in german, but I'm sure something similar is available in english as well

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I've personally used Knoppicillin to that end (and to remove rootkits). Knoppicillin is a Knoppix-Based Live-CD by the german computer mag C't. Unfortunately it's only available in german, but I'm sure something similar is available in english as well

or keep a German-English dictionary nearby?

 

[Grisu]

or keep a German-English dictionary nearby?

something like that but I just read on the link I posted that in the downloadable edition the antivirus is not included (because of some licence issues, I think) and has to be added manually...I got the Mag-CD where the antivirus is already in.