Virus sweep of USB drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mobius
  • Start date Start date
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Mobius

Can the hard drive from a virus-infected PC be removed and connected with a
USB-IDE adapter to another computer and cleared of viruses and other
malware?

Affected PC boots to multiple desktop windows and scanning windows and
innumerable virus-warning pop-ups come into existence.

Objective is to attempt to disinfect the drive as much as possible and save
document files and folders by copy-over to host PC. Thereafter the drive
would be low-level formatted and WinXP-Pro SP2 re-installed on original PC.

Regards and TIA for any insights.
Mobius
--------
 
Yes, you can always do that and use the antivirus software on the new
computer to scan your USB connected hard drive but it is better to backup
your data and system on your new computer before you do that.
 
But Autorun MUST be disabled on the other computer before plugging-in the
USB key!
 
donald huang said:
Yes, you can always do that and use the antivirus software on the new
computer to scan your USB connected hard drive but it is better to backup
your data and system on your new computer before you do that.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response and the very useful advice. The host PC system
drive is routinely backed to a secondary drive using Acronic TrueImage. We
will do a manual back up and then temporarily disconnect the secondary drive
before hooking the other PC's drive via the USB adapter. Just to play it
safe!

Regards and thanks again!
 
Mobius said:
Can the hard drive from a virus-infected PC be removed and connected with
a
USB-IDE adapter to another computer and cleared of viruses and other
malware?
Click to expand...

Sure, I do this regularly. It's a good place to start.
Affected PC boots to multiple desktop windows and scanning windows and
innumerable virus-warning pop-ups come into existence.
Click to expand...

That's probably not too hard to fix.
Objective is to attempt to disinfect the drive as much as possible
Click to expand...

At the start, locate all the temp and temporary internet files folders, and
delete them, clear the wastebasket. This will significantly reduce the
time for scanning, and get a good chunk of the malware.

and save
document files and folders by copy-over to host PC. Thereafter the drive
would be low-level formatted and WinXP-Pro SP2 re-installed on original
PC.
Click to expand...

No, you probably won't be genuinely low-level formatting it, that's a term
that doesn't apply to modern disks. Delete the partition and re-create it,
and format that.
 
My response at bottom:
Mobius said:
Can the hard drive from a virus-infected PC be removed and connected with
a
USB-IDE adapter to another computer and cleared of viruses and other
malware?

Affected PC boots to multiple desktop windows and scanning windows and
innumerable virus-warning pop-ups come into existence.

Objective is to attempt to disinfect the drive as much as possible and
save
document files and folders by copy-over to host PC. Thereafter the drive
would be low-level formatted and WinXP-Pro SP2 re-installed on original
PC.

Regards and TIA for any insights.
Mobius
--------
Click to expand...


Thanks to the very helpful advice!

The drive was scanned and disinfected successfully.

Cheerio!
 
Mobius said:
Can the hard drive from a virus-infected PC be removed and connected with
a
USB-IDE adapter to another computer and cleared of viruses and other
malware?

Affected PC boots to multiple desktop windows and scanning windows and
innumerable virus-warning pop-ups come into existence.

Objective is to attempt to disinfect the drive as much as possible and
save
document files and folders by copy-over to host PC. Thereafter the drive
would be low-level formatted and WinXP-Pro SP2 re-installed on original
PC.

Regards and TIA for any insights.
Mobius
Click to expand...

Virus scan only the root and files/folders you intend to keep. Wipe the
rest of the hard drive when finished.

Wipe the hard drive with the manufacturers write zero software. Unless
you're booting from an old scsi adapter, with its own bios and tools, you
can't low-level format a hard drive.

Keep any future held files that you want to keep on another partition and
removable media (both) at a minimum.
--
Dave

CDOs are how we got here.
A modified version, new taxes in the future, is how Congress will get us
out?
 
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