Is there such a thing as a pre-boot virus scanner?

[Psyber]

Hi,
One of our computers is full of viruses and spyware. It (the viruses) has disabled the Zone Alarm firewall and my Norton Antivirus. I can't even reinstall either of them. I can remove some of them manually through msconfig and searching and deleting the infected files, but it seems to replicate itself after reboot. Is there such thing as a pre-boot virus scanner and if so what is a good one?
Thanks in advance,
Psyber

summary of findings/solutions so far
-Stinger by McAfee
-BartPE allows for CD boot of windows
-I could also format C: (which I always knew I could do)
-connect infected HD to clean machine to scan (I thought this was clever, didn't even think of this)

 

[KLin]

FORMAT C: is the only option.

/end of thread

 

[Psyber]

probably gonna do that, but I'm just curious if there are products out there that do a pre-boot virus scan?

 

[d0ofy]

Get yourself a BartPE disk.

 

[Psyber]

just looked up BartPE. Pretty cool stuff:thumbsup:
Is this free?

 

[MSCoder610]

Yep, it's free. You need a Windows CD to use it, though.

 

[FoBoT]

you need to hire a professional

that will cost money


so just format c:

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
you need to hire a professional

that will cost money


so just format c:

pfff

I can boot off my AV cd and do a scan.

OMG he could even remove the hdd and hook it up to a safe machine and scan it.

There are lots of options besides format C

 

[FoBoT]

if he knew how to do that, he wouldn't have posted in OT about it

 

[Psyber]

ahhh.. but I am fairly pro, (2nd/3rd level tech support for 5 years before becoming a web developer). No certifications though. As I was thinking about fixing this, I figured there should be tools to clean viruses and spyware preboot and thought I should know about them. I googled and didn't find anything.

Now I know about BartPE - that should be useful for stuff.

Does symantec or macaffee offer anything like this?

 

[Zanix]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
if he knew how to do that, he wouldn't have posted in OT about it

lmao,

 

[FoBoT]

symantec is an abortion of a company
they don't try to abate virus or enhance their software to deal with a virus after it has been detected

their garbage software hasn't changed in over 5 years, they are content to keep collecting $ from enterprise customers and not make advances to help their customers

they suck

 

[Psyber]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode
pfff

I can boot off my AV cd and do a scan.

OMG he could even remove the hdd and hook it up to a safe machine and scan it.

There are lots of options besides format C

I didn't know you could boot off an AV cd...? which version/brand does this? I don't feel like taking the computer apart, but that is a very good idea!

btw... I had posted this in OT because the Tech Support forum was taking too long for a response.

 

[hevnsnt]

Go to google, search for "Stinger".. It is a down & dirty virus removal tool by McAfee that detects most of the common threats today.. Once you remove the viruses blocking your main AV, Update the main AV and scan entire drive again.

 

[Psyber]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Go to google, search for "Stinger".. It is a down & dirty virus removal tool by McAfee that detects most of the common threats today.. Once you remove the viruses blocking your main AV, Update the main AV and scan entire drive again.

Ah I think this is what I was looking for. Is McAfee better than Norton/Symantec now? I find more ppl going with McAfee nowadays, but I'm wondering if it's because of price or quality.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: Psyber

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Go to google, search for "Stinger".. It is a down & dirty virus removal tool by McAfee that detects most of the common threats today.. Once you remove the viruses blocking your main AV, Update the main AV and scan entire drive again.

Ah I think this is what I was looking for. Is McAfee better than Norton/Symantec now? I find more ppl going with McAfee nowadays, but I'm wondering if it's because of price or quality.

It is all preference.... Stinger is a very very very nice tool though

 

[DrPizza]

did you try an online scan from one of the places that does it?
I've scanned from www.trendmicro.com multiple times before (but never when I actually had a virus problem - only when I downloaded files that I suspected could possibly have a virus in them, and before I used those files)

 

[Psyber]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
did you try an online scan from one of the places that does it?
I've scanned from www.trendmicro.com multiple times before (but never when I actually had a virus problem - only when I downloaded files that I suspected could possibly have a virus in them, and before I used those files)

yup tried that. The virus/spyware on the comp somehow blocks that too.

 

[Schadenfroh]

boot to dos using Barts boot disc and use a CLI antivirus

 

[BHeemsoth]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: FoBoT
you need to hire a professional

that will cost money


so just format c:

pfff

I can boot off my AV cd and do a scan.

OMG he could even remove the hdd and hook it up to a safe machine and scan it.

There are lots of options besides format C

Additionaly, if the virus exists in the MBR as some do, a simple format c will not eliminate the virus.

 

[Iron Woode]

Macaffee used to have a floppy disk version you could boot with.

Spybot Search & Destroy has a pre-boot scan but you must run it in windows first. Anything it can't fix due to spyware running in the background, will be fixed on re-boot.

there are also free virus scanning software: grissoft and AVG.

If this PC is part of a network, then consider getting a networkable virus scanner.

 

[Injury]

Hook the HD up to a different computer as a slave and scan the drive from there. Always does the trick, as virii that launch are boot aren't launched when you aren't running windows from that drive.

PS: WRONG FORUM.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: Injury
Hook the HD up to a different computer as a slave and scan the drive from there. Always does the trick, as virii that launch are boot aren't launched when you aren't running windows from that drive.

PS: WRONG FORUM.

already stated this and the OP said he knew it was the wrong forum.