OT Virus scan boot CD

norton is crap! take it off! (ive seen it brake more PC's that catch viruses!)

You could download something like AVG and the latest definitions (free.grisoft.com) and stick it on a usb stick or cd and then boot the pc into safe mode and then install and scan it. This has worked for me. In the very old version of AVG you used to be able to make a scanning boot disc if you followed the instructions but im not sure if it does it anymore.

Alternatively, you could build a barts PE disc on another computer

and im pretty sure you can get a virusplug in for that. This is a bit more involbed though but would do whatyou wanted.

If the pc is old and slow i would be very tempted just to get an install cd and reinstall it (with something better than 98 if possible!). In the process do a full format of the drives and that will clear it nicely

It a home pc of a colleague. PSU had failed, so I offered to swap one in for him.

Then "whilst you've got it, I'm having a problem with Norton...."

Don't want to give it back when it's a bit suspect, but really wish I'd never offered to help.

Tried running the command line Norton scanner in safe mode, gets into an endless loop.

Its a £30 piece of s*1t that really should be thrown away. Just need someone to explain that diplomatically to my colleague. Nige?

David

i just realised that i recommended going into safe mode too which you cant do with 98. sorry. i scrapped all the 98 machines i could find ages ago! :)

I would boot it up once. uninstall norton and any other virus checkers and put AVG on. trim all the other excess stuff from the system tray too. Then reboot it and leave it to scan itself over night.

After that call it a day and tell him it is knackered and he needs to buy a new one.You can buy a new PC now, which will come pre-configured with XP on it for £200-£300 (See a dell leaflet in the sunday paper or look for fujitsu's or HP's entry level stuff). Tell him that you feel your time is worth atleast £50/hour for working on it any further! :)

I'm another Nigel but...

Woooh. Norton!

A good installation of Norton is virtually impossible to tell from a sustained and aggressive denial-of-service attack.

I use AGV (Grisoft). It's not brilliant but my firewall and simple procedures like only reading mail in plain text mode keep things clean. The AVG just sweeps the machines overnight.

I wonder if my air suspension has a virus... It runs for a while and then fails and has to go back to the dealer for a reboot. NFF

No. Hang on. Now I think of it I know what that sounds like... Windows 95 Darn '96 HSE

nigelH

I'd go along with Tom - Norton causes more problems than it solves! Mind you, it works, since you can't get a virus if the dammed machine won't boot!

Richard

Created an SEP field over the PC by giving it back to its original owner.

Everthing fine now.

Ta chaps and carry on.

David

Tom Woods uttered summat worrerz funny about:

I always like reading these things as they remind me how little I know.

Have you still got that Ghost manual gathering dust?

Lee D

yep, even saw it at the weekend while tidying and put it to one side for you rather than chucking it out... now if i could only remember which side i put it on! :)

........................................

Why do you say that you can't boot into safe mode under W98 Tom ? I've done it many times while building quite a few PC's.

curious Regards. Mike

I'd agree with all the above. Uninstall Norton, which is bloatware and has caused more problems on my machines over the years than Microsoft! Go for AVG anti-virus (free) and while you're at it disable your windoze firewall and use ZoneAlarm instead.

I think there's a bootable-from-CD Linux on a couple of the new batch of computer magazines, meant for data recovery and stuff.

On or around 19 Oct 2006 06:00:25 -0700, "Dave P" enlightened us thusly:

I went with Frisk's F-prot, which is not free but only costs 29 bucks a year sub.

I also used to use ZA, but now prefer Agnitum Outpost.

but yeah, windows firewall off. I'd not trust windows to make security software.

Oh, and update your AV at least daily...

Only virus I've had on any machine in the last 3 or 4 years is one that I carelessly let loose myself, by investigating it before updating the AV...