Tech help for virus removal

[uselesscrap]

i am not a tech, nor do I pretend to be. however, i am wondering if there is an easier way to remove viruses from my neighbours computer. it seems to be happening a lot and they keep asking me to help. I'm sure their kid is to blame. anyhow, what i am thinking is installing XP on a 10 gb hard drive and install AVG on it. i then make sure the definitions are up to date, then off to the neighbours i go with my HD, making it the master and theirs the slave and scan for viruses. would this work okay? any techie's here?

[thepuzzler]

Why not just burn a CD with AVG on it, and update the virus definitions from their internet connection. (I presume they're conected to the internet if they keep getting viruses).

Your way will work, but it seems like a lot of hassle. Is it because they're running Windows '98 and AVG is incompatible or something?

[pimpinaman]

I would try safe mode and then run AVG. You will find stuff more in safe mode than in normal mode.

[axlman]

Yes, loading AVG on an infected machine could work, although it is not recommeded to do so. What ever you do, rather it's load a drive and Master/Slave them then scan, etc. or Load AVG on the infected machine, make sure that you go into the settings of AVG and set them to scan all files, the default is to mainly scan program files only.

Another option the try first, is if it's connected to the internet, then run an Online Scan.

You can go here http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
House call will need to install an Active X control, but nothing to worry about. It uses Java as well.

House call may or may not beable to delete some Viruses, but whatever it can not remove, then at least you will know what viruses they are and can go to somewhere like Symantec and maybe download the removal tools.

Hope this helps.

[uselesscrap]

Why not just burn a CD with AVG on it, and update the virus definitions from their internet connection. (I presume they're conected to the internet if they keep getting viruses).

Your way will work, but it seems like a lot of hassle. Is it because they're running Windows '98 and AVG is incompatible or something?

they already have AVG installed, but it's buggered. I tried for over two hours last night to run it, and even in safe mode it won't work. also, housecall would not install. that's why I was thinking of running AV from another HD. i will surely ghost their drive when this is done.

anyway can anti-virus be run from a usb stick?

[thepuzzler]

anyway can anti-virus be run from a usb stick?

I haven't tried personally, but you can boot linux from a USB stick, so I don't see why not. It's gotta be easier to try to do that before you start luggin hard drives around.

[shawners]

Reformat and install windows xp professional, then put norton (Retail) on it without being connected the internet for obvious reasons of calling back to check serial, then update and reboot til all is done. And GET RID OF INTERNET EXPLORER, DELETE short cuts and install FIREFOX with thunderbird email client and possibly lecture them on what to install and what not to install!

[pimpinaman]

if you need to save the drive then do what you are thinking and put the hard drive in a usb hard drive carrier and scan the drive with your system....

[uselesscrap]

Reformat and install windows xp professional, then put norton (Retail) on it without being connected the internet for obvious reasons of calling back to check serial, then update and reboot til all is done. And GET RID OF INTERNET EXPLORER, DELETE short cuts and install FIREFOX with thunderbird email client and possibly lecture them on what to install and what not to install!

though reformatting may fix all, it is not the simple answer to virus repair. are you telling me every time someone brings their computer in the tech shop for virus repair they format them?

thanks for your input anyways.

[shawners]

though reformatting may fix all, it is not the simple answer to virus repair. are you telling me every time someone brings their computer in the tech shop for virus repair they format them?

thanks for your input anyways.

Most people that have a pc know how to remove a virus without formatting and may be able to use GOOGle.
But im telling you to reformat and install a clean version of windows xp, and with the apps necessary, as well as removing internet explorer shortcuts and making firefox the default browser. Installing antivirus on a pc that may be infected could cause it to not install properly or remove the files necessary to update or remove it self.. And if they have a kid, chances are they got tons of spyware, and tons of junk clustering it up.

[axlman]

Since the infected machine already has AVG on it, Install a clean copy of AVG onto the USB Stick ( Create a folder called something like (AVG) and install to that folder on the USB Stick. Load the update Virus Def's of course, From your machine that you load the AVG on, make sure to change the settings to scan all files, etc. then connect the the USB stick to the infected machine and then change the desktop shortcut's "target" (if there is one) and point it to that USB Stick.

Example:"J:\AVG\Grisoft\AVG Free\avgw.exe"

If that works, then don't forget to change the AVG shortcut back to it's default target: "C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Free\avgw.exe" after the system has been cleaned.


If that don't work.... then I would just go ahead and slave that drive and scan/clean it! If all else fails, then yes...buy all means, Format that drive!


let us know if you know how to do that or not. I would think that it may run that way.

[uselesscrap]

Since the infected machine already has AVG on it, Install a clean copy of AVG onto the USB Stick ( Create a folder called something like (AVG) and install to that folder on the USB Stick. Load the update Virus Def's of course, From your machine that you load the AVG on, make sure to change the settings to scan all files, etc. then connect the the USB stick to the infected machine and then change the desktop shortcut's "target" (if there is one) and point it to that USB Stick.

Example:"J:\AVG\Grisoft\AVG Free\avgw.exe"

If that works, then don't forget to change the AVG shortcut back to it's default target: "C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Free\avgw.exe" after the system has been cleaned.


If that don't work.... then I would just go ahead and slave that drive and scan/clean it! If all else fails, then yes...buy all means, Format that drive!


let us know if you know how to do that or not. I would think that it may run that way.

okay, thanks. I will give that a try when I get home today.

If all else fails, I will go shawners route and format.

[shawners]

You know how viruses are, they get in to the boot sectors, or have dummy dll files that rewrites to the directory if you happen to delete it and such. Plus removing spyware-adware will do crazy stuff to the registry where some programs wont run as smoothly, then that may have to be fixed and its just as easy as PIE, plus the pc runs faster since its defraged essentialy.

[uselesscrap]

You know how viruses are, they get in to the boot sectors, or have dummy dll files that rewrites to the directory if you happen to delete it and such. Plus removing spyware-adware will do crazy stuff to the registry where some programs wont run as smoothly, then that may have to be fixed and its just as easy as PIE, plus the pc runs faster since its defraged essentialy.

I find after formatting and installing the basics of software my HD is usually very fragmented. Most often I defrag after a fresh installation, unless I'm using a ghost image.

[axlman]

So did it work?