Malware/Virus Removal

[thatPC]

Recently I've picked up some great little SATA/IDE to USB adapters. I've found that if I have a virus/malware problem on a computer, rather than struggling with slow speeds and locked files, if I remove the HDD and connect it up to my clean laptop and run checks from there it's generally much quicker and you get fewer locked file problems.

Does anyone else do this? What do you think of this as a process? Any advantages/disadvantages?

 

[Methical]

It is what most techs would call the 'norm' (normal way) of doing it, specially with those tricky ones.

Or boot with a LiveCD.

 

[NYJimbo]

Its much faster if you can hookup the drive directly to cables inside a desktop. I have a work machine with sata cables just hanging outside of it and when I want to clone a drive or do any work with it I dont use the USB stuff anymore, just connect direct in and boot up, check my drive letters or whatever and go to work. Must faster than USB.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

Its much faster if you can hookup the drive directly to cables inside a desktop. I have a work machine with sata cables just hanging outside of it and when I want to clone a drive or do any work with it I dont use the USB stuff anymore, just connect direct in and boot up, check my drive letters or whatever and go to work. Must faster than USB.

me too, definitely faster than USB

mine is an old HP box with a PCI SATA card, but it's only SATAI but I'll eventually get an SATAII one when my main PC finally get's replaced - it's 5 years old!!!

 

[Alphabyte]

I have an esata port on my Antec 1200 case, but it lacks the power, it has a little resting place on top for a HDD so this would be ideal if I can hang out a power cable, as I would have to agree that sata is miles faster then usb if you are scanning and what not

 

[lassenpc]

I do the same (slave drive to another pc) for the real tricky ones.

In another forum though this was brought up and I was 'schooled' about how dangerous that was in regards to the infected HDD possibly infecting the clean HDD. I've never had that happen (that I am aware of)... how big a concern is that really? Any additional steps for precautions? thanks

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

you should be OK if you don't open anything on the slaved hdd and disable the autorun