What are you to do when you have a computer problem so bad that your computer won't start at all and you're pretty sure a virus or some other malware is to blame? How do you scan for viruses when you can't start Windows to do a virus scan?
This is where a bootable antivirus program becomes the hero of the day. With a bootable virus scanner, you create a special flash drive or CD/DVD disc from a working computer and then use it on the infected machine to scan the hard drive for viruses—all without needing to start Windows!
Since the most serious of viruses cause damage to the parts of your computer that allow it to start, a bootable antivirus tool can often be a powerful weapon at your disposal for getting the virus removed and your computer back up and running.
NMAP is best network scanner till that date, when we take features as our concern, then NMap has left other scanners miles behind. NMap stands for Network mapper and its a free open source hack tool for network scanning and network security auditing.
In general, getting a bootable antivirus program up and running requires that you take the ISO image provided and then, from a working computer, burn it to a disc or burn it to a USB drive. Next, you'll need to boot from the disc or boot from the flash drive on the infected PC. More details are available in our reviews and on the bootable AV program websites.
Anvi Rescue Disk
What We Like
Really easy to use
Lets you scan the whole drive or certain folders only
Can run a quick or full scan
Able to repair malicious changes made to the registry
Relatively small download size
Anvi Rescue Disk is a really simple bootable virus scanner. There are only three main scan buttons, two sections to the program, and no custom settings.
You can run a quick smart scan, a full system scan, or a custom scan to search for malware inside one or more specific folders.
There's also a section for finding and correcting corrupt registry issues that may have been altered by a virus.
The only thing I don't like about Anvi Rescue Disk is that you must scan the whole drive at once—you can not choose to scan single, specific files like you can with regular antivirus software.
AVG Rescue CD
What We Like
Scans things most bootable AV programs do not
Lets you check for viruses on any attached hard drive
Includes other tools like a hard drive tester
What We Don't Like
Doesn't have a graphical interface like most programs, so it might be hard to use if you're not used to that type of UI
Doesn't offer definition updates
AVG Rescue CD is a text-only free bootable antivirus program. It can check for potentially unwanted programs, scan cookies, find hidden file extensions, and even scan inside archives.
Before you start a scan with AVG Rescue CD, you have the option to just scan a folder of your choice, just the boot sector, only the registry, or any locally attached hard drive.
Unfortunately, because AVG Rescue CD doesn't provide a graphical interface, navigating the menus can become difficult.
AVG no longer updates or maintains this program, so the virus definitions will forever be outdated. You can still scan normally, but it won't catch brand new threats.
Avira Rescue System
Free Virus Scan For Mac
What We Like
Updates its definitions automatically before scans
Uses a regular, graphical interface instead of text only
Easier to install than some bootable antivirus programs
Includes other tools you might like
What We Don't Like
Scans a whole partition at once without the option to check particular files only
Large download size
Avira Rescue System is a free bootable antivirus program that also functions as a registry editor, web browser, and more, all under a standard graphical interface.
Avira Rescue System automatically updates its definitions before performing a scan, which is great so you don't have to re-download the software every time you wish to use it.
During a virus scan, compressed files are unpacked and scanned for added protection.
Avira Rescue System doesn't let you scan individual files, but only a whole partition at once, which is too bad. Also, the download is rather large at over 650 MB.
Comodo Rescue Disk
What We Like
You can scan specific files/folders or the whole drive
Includes an option to skip scanning certain files
Supports multiple scan types based on what you want to scan
Lets you pick between a graphical UI and one that's text only
Checks for updates automatically
Relatively small download size
What We Don't Like
It's difficult to use the file/folder-level scan option
In addition to the regular, installable Comodo Antivirus software, Comodo also has a free bootable antivirus program.
Comodo Rescue Disk can be launched from a USB device or disc in either text-only mode or with a full graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI version has a familiar program interface which is much easier to use.
There are three different scan types you can start with Comodo Rescue Disk: smart scan, full scan, or custom scan.
Smart scan checks for viruses and rootkits in the memory, boot sectors, autorun entries, and other areas like the registry and system folder. A custom scan lets you choose individual files and folders to scan instead of an entire drive.
You can also scan archives, enable heuristics scanning, and skip files over a specified size.
I love that Comodo Rescue Disk includes a familiar Desktop-like interface because it makes it easier to use than some of these other text-based scanning tools.
Dr.Web LiveDisk
What We Like
Custom options not found in some of these other bootable AV programs
Lets you define the types of files it should scan
Checks for virus definition updates from within the software
Runs from a disc or flash drive
What We Don't Like
The large setup file might take a while to download for some
Dr.Web LiveDisk is a feature-filled free bootable virus scanner for Windows and Linux.
There are plenty of configurable settings, like choosing the actions Dr.Web should take when finding infected, suspicious, or incurable files. Also, you can set what should occur in the event it detects specific issues like adware, dialers, jokes, hacktools, and riskware.
You can also exclude directories from being scanned, set how large a file can be before it's excluded from a scan, and define a maximum duration Dr.Web is allowed to spend scanning a single file.
I like that Dr.Web can check for virus definition updates directly from the program. This means you can reuse the program in the future and all you have to do is update it before you do a scan.
You can install Dr.Web LiveDisk to a USB device or a disc, but either method is still a rather large download, at over 700 MB in size.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk
What We Like
Lets you scan specific folders, the whole drive, and other areas
Scans for many types of malware
You get to choose which interface to use: graphical or text
Includes other tools
Kaspersky has what's called a Rescue Disk, which can scan for viruses, worms, Trojans, malicious tools, adware, dialers, and other malicious items. https://clanidadme.tistory.com/2.
You can pick between using the graphical mode (recommended) or the text-only mode.
Your scan options include Fileless objects, Startup objects, and System drive. You can also scan boot sectors and specific folders.
You can also use Kaspersky's tool to browse through the file system to copy or delete files. The Firefox browser is also built in to Kaspersky Rescue Disk, among many other tools.
The only downfall I can find with Kaspersky Rescue Disk is that the download file is rather large, and may, therefore, take some time to download.
Panda Cloud Cleaner Rescue ISO
What We Like
Works in Windows 10 and older Windows OSs
Updates automatically
Can scan specific files, folders, and hard drives
Small download size (under 200 MB)
What We Don't Like
Doesn't function as a true bootable AV program
Doesn't work if the virus is blocking access to your computer
Isn't as easy to use as similar tools
Panda Rescue ISO is a program that allows the freePanda Cloud Cleaner program to scan a computer without any other running processes that could potentially shut it down and prevent a virus scan.
First, you must boot to the Panda Rescue ISO disc to prepare your computer for running Panda Cloud Cleaner. Next, your computer will reboot into Windows but launch the cleaner before any other applications start. All other processes are shut down so that Panda Cloud Cleaner is less likely to be terminated by a virus.
The problem I have with this tool is that it may not work properly if a virus has infected your computer so deeply that you can't even boot into Windows. If this is the case, you'll want to try any of the other tools in this list that don't require Windows to boot.
Sophos Bootable Anti-Virus
What We Like
Supports two scan types
Includes an option that lets you delete specific files
What We Don't Like
Runs in a text-only mode
Lacks custom scan options
Takes a while to reach the actual download link on the download page
Not many custom settings or options are available in Sophos Bootable Anti-Virus except choosing one of two different scan types.
A Recommended Scan can either rename infected files or just display a log of the malicious items that were found. An Advanced Scan will actually remove any infected files it detects.
There's also a Bash Shell menu option for manually removing viruses. This option is only useful if you know where the malicious items are, which isn't very likely.
You must answer several questions before you can get to the download link.
Advanced steps are necessary to get the Sophos Bootable Anti-Virus ISO file. You must read the instructions carefully in order to download the program. It ends up requiring around 360 MB of free space.
Trend Micro Rescue Disk
What We Like
There are two scan types you can run
Fairly easy to use considering the lack of advanced options
What We Don't Like
Doesn't have a graphical interface
Trend Micro Rescue Disk is another free bootable antivirus tool that doesn't have a graphical interface, meaning you'll need to navigate entirely in text mode with the arrow keys.
You can run a quick scan or a full scan depending on what areas you'd like checked.
Trend Micro Rescue Disk is first downloaded as a regular program file that includes the bootable software. Just choose to install it on a USB device or CD.
Windows Defender Offline
What We Like
Several exclusion settings to customize the scan
Virus definition updates are supported directly from the disc
Has a graphical UI instead of text
What We Don't Like
Downloads as an EXE file instead of directly as an ISO
From Microsoft, Windows Defender Offline is a bootable virus scanner that sports a full user interface.
You can update the virus definitions directly from the disc, view quarantined files, and exclude files, folders, and extension types from scans.
Windows Defender Offline supports quick virus scans, full scans, and custom scans so you can choose your own folders and drives to scan.
The Windows Defender Offline tool from the download link can burn the software to a disc or USB device for you, so no image burning software is necessary. See Am I Running a 32-bit or 64-bit Version of Windows? to know which download file to select.
Zillya! LiveCD
What We Like
Runs with a full desktop interface
Lets you scan a whole drive or specific folders only
Includes a tool to fix corrupt MBR problems
Easier to use than some bootable AV programs
What We Don't Like
Lacks really advanced scan settings found in similar programs
Can't scan specific files only
Zillya! LiveCD can scan entire drives or whole folders only, so it won't scan just single files.
There's an option to check for viruses in potentially dangerous file types like executables so you're not scanning every single file type, which could take a long time.
A utility called Zillya! MBR Recovery is available from this bootable disc, which can scan the MBR for viruses and attempt to fix boot issues caused by a corrupt MBR.
I like all the settings that are included in Zillya! LiveCD as well as the fact that it provides a very easy to use interface.
ESET SysRescue Live
What We Like
Super easy to use.
Advanced settings if you want to use them.
Complete desktop environment.
ESET SysRescue is another bootable virus scanner that you can use for free from a CD, DVD, or USB device. It comes from the company ESET, which also sells security software for home users and businesses.
This tool provides a full desktop environment, so if you're uncomfortable with text-only user interfaces, you should be okay with how this one works. There's a start menu, desktop items for other tools like TeamViewer and GParted, a file browser, and of course a shortcut to ESET SysRescue.
The virus scanner itself is very easy to use and can be used quickly without any customizations. From the On-demand scan page, just choose the option you want to use: Smart scan to check only some areas for malware—specifically, common locations malware is found; or choose Custom scan to run an in-depth, full scan of any area of the drive, including the whole thing.
However, you can change advanced settings if you want. Some of the scan settings include choosing which object types to scan—such as files, symbolic links, email files, archives, self-extracting archives, boot sectors, and others. You can also enable heuristics, detect PuPs, exclude specific file extensions, and set scan limits on files of a certain size.
When you first run the program, you're given the option to not only run SysRescue but also check for errors on the disc or in the memory.
VBA32 Rescue
What We Like
Has lots of scan options you can tweak
What We Don't Like
Might be hard to use because of the text-only interface
Download is around 200 MB
VBA32 doesn't support a graphical interface but it makes up for it in its detailed settings.
There are plenty of options in this program, like choosing which drives to scan, defining a set of file types to scan, choosing to scan inside archives, and deciding a default action when a malicious file is detected.
You can also adjust the heuristic scan settings and update virus definitions directly from the CD or USB drive.
The obvious downfall to VBA32 Rescue is that you must use it in a text-only mode, unlike most of these other tools that have a regular, graphical interface.
Bitdefender Rescue CD
What We Like
Provides a full desktop experience
Has multiple scan options
Supports scanning particular folders apart from the whole drive
What We Don't Like
Large download at over 800 MB
Start time is slow compared to similar tools
Outdated virus signatures
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Program no longer updates
Bitdefender Rescue CD is a free bootable virus scanner program that can exclude certain file extensions from a scan, lets you choose the maximum file size Bitdefender Rescue CD should scan, and optionally include archives with a scan.
Bitdefender Rescue CD lets you search in individual folders if you wish to target a specific directory and not the whole drive.
The most important downfall with this program is that it's no longer supported, so you won't get any new updates, virus signatures, features, etc. Another thing we don't like about Bitdefender Rescue CD is that it takes quite a long time to start up when you boot into the program.
PC Tools' Alternate Operating System Scanner
What We Like
Very simple and easy to use
You can start running a scan in seconds
Includes other helpful tools that work best when run outside of the OS
What We Don't Like
Lacks custom scan settings
Download is large at over 350 MB
This utility is a bit different than the others in this list because PC Tools' Alternate Operating System Scanner is a portion of a larger suite.
The whole suite includes not only a virus scanner but also a system shell, file manager, data destruction utility, and file recovery tool.
If malicious files are found, PC Tools' Alternate Operating System Scanner will show a results page where you can disable them so they can't do any harm to your other files.
The main thing I like about this tool is that there aren't any custom settings (which could be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective). It works as quickly as choosing the drive to scan and then waiting for the results.
The official website that used to host AOSS is no longer operational, so if the link above doesn't work to download AOSS, try this one from the Wayback Machine.
F-Secure Rescue CD
What We Like
Easy to use because there aren't lots of options to get confused about
Not as large of a download as some similar programs
What We Don't Like
Updates are no longer performed
Doesn't have advanced scan options
Missing the familiar graphical UI, so it could be hard to use
F-Secure Rescue CD is a simple bootable antivirus program. It works without any graphical user interface, so it might be a bit confusing.
There are hardly any options or user input except pressing the Enter key to confirm the start of a scan.
As Macs continue to gain market share, there is an increased likelihood that you will have to support them if you are a tech. And even if you aren’t a tech, it’s good to know which tools are the best to use when it comes time to repair your own. I have put together a list of what are, in my opinion, the ten best repair tools for troubleshooting, diagnosing, and repairing a Mac. Many of them are free or offer a free trial.
OSx Sierra
Disk Warrior Trial
Free Mac Disk Repair Software
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TechTool Protogo
TechTool Protogo is a Mac repair program suite which contains three of Micromat’s best Mac repair tools; TechTool Pro 8, TechTool Pro Classic, and DiskStudio. Protogo creates a bootable Mac repair toolbox with these tools as well as any of your own tools on a portable hard drive or flash drive. You can then boot from this drive, bypassing the OS, and run diagnostics on a computer to determine problems. Protogo also allows you to repair and recover data from problematic hard drives as well as defragment, optimize, and securely delete data.
Cost: $129.99
Memtest OS X
Memtest OS X is a memory testing program for Mac OS X. It is a command line utility so it can be ran in OS X or in Single-User Mode if your Mac will not boot. It is great for testing intermittent system problems when you are having trouble determining if it is a memory problem. If you prefer memtest with a GUI front-end, then be sure to check out Rember. Rember will run in OS X but will not work in Single-User Mode so Memtest OS X is the better option.
Cost: $1.39
Mac Disk Repair – DiskWarrior 4
Disk Repair for Macs – DiskWarrior utilizes a unique disk repair method for Macs
DiskWarrior is arguably one of the best hard drive repair programs for the Mac. It works differently than other data repair programs. Instead of trying to rebuild the damaged data itself, DiskWarrior builds replacement data based off of the original data. It then verifies the new data structure based on the original to make sure it is error free. You can also use DiskWarrior as a preventative maintenance utility for hard disks. When run, it rebuilds your directory eliminating any damage that you may not be aware of. It also optimizes the directory for better performance.
Cost: $99.95
If it is more serious and your Mac’s hard drive has crashed, I have provided an extensive data recovery guide with a list of Hard Drive Recovery Tools in my article How to Recover Data from a Crashed Hard Drive.
OnyX
Onyx is a maintenance, optimization, and personalization utility for Mac OS X. It allows you to run hard drive diagnostics, run system maintenance tasks, delete caches, and configure tons of OS X hidden features. Even if you aren’t using it as a repair utility, it is a great application to help keep your Mac running in top shape.
Cost: Free!
Mac Data Rescue
Data Rescue is a data recovery program that focuses purely on recovering data from corrupt drives instead of hard drive repair. It scans the corrupt drive analyzing all of its contents and allows you to choose which data you would like to recover. It even scans for deleted files. Data Rescue II restores the data to a separate drive leaving the original data intact. It comes with an emergency boot CD that you can use to recover data when the computer will not boot and it also works on drives that won’t mount.
Cost: $99.00
AppCleaner
AppCleaner may not be classified as a repair tool but it can be used as one. When you are having trouble with an application in OS X, you can simply remove it by dragging it to the Trash. However, this still leaves behind the applications preferences, caches, and other files that could still cause the same problem after you reinstall it. AppCleaner will remove all of these files making sure that the app is completely gone before you attempt a reinstall.
Cost: Free!
Mac Tools Diagnostic Scan Tool
Drive Genius
Best Way To Scan Mac For Virus
Drive Genius is a disk utility application for Macs. Its main features include defragmenting, running benchtests, directory repair, integrity checks, surface scans, repartitioning, cloning, shredding data, and more. This is actually the same program used to defrag Macs at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores. Drive Genius also comes on a bootable DVD so you can run it even when a Mac will not boot.
Cost: $99.00
Mac Backup – Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner is a simple yet very effective backup utility for the Mac. Like most other backup utilities, it can be scheduled to backup your Mac on a regular basis. The best part, however, is its ability to completely clone a hard drive with it still being bootable. This tool comes in very handy when you are replacing hard drives, setting up multiple Macs, or recovering from a system crash. Carbon Copy Cloner is donation-ware so you can download it for free without any restrictions. You can also check out SuperDuper which has more features but costs $27.95. However, if you just need a simple backup and cloning utility, Carbon Copy Cloner does a great job.
Cost: Free! (donation-ware)
Apple Mac Disk Repair – AppleJack
AppleJack is a troubleshooting utility for Mac OS X. It runs under Single-User Mode so it can be used even when OS X will not boot. AppleJack will repair disks, repair permissions, cleanup cache files, validate preference files, and remove swap files. You can select these tasks individually or have AppleJack run all of them and even reboot when finished. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, AppleJack is not yet compatible with Leopard but a new version is in the works. Be sure to check their page frequently for an update because this is an invaluable tool.
Cost: Free! (open-source)
Hardware Monitor
Hardware Monitor is a utility that allows you to view data from the hardware sensors in a Mac. It currently has support for temperature readings, battery data, voltage, current, fan speed, power and load, ambient light, as well as user-defined artificial sensors. It’s a great utility to use when simply trying to find out if your hardware is malfunctioning.
Cost: € 7.00 (can also be purchased with U.S. Dollars)
OSX disk repair -Leopard
This is kind of a nice segway into handy hardware tools and toolkits. Click on the following link if you want to see some great ideas on what I recommend for your Mac or PC Repair Toolkit.
As you may know, I believe your should support Macs in your Computer IT Consultant Business. I state my case here in my article on Why You Should Support Macs With Your IT Business.
Well if you were counting, that is 4 totally free Mac OSX disk repair utilities, and one so cheap it may as well be free! The best Mac repair disk software may well be a paid one depending on your exact needs, and I’ve shown you my pick for the best of those too.
Excellent Mac disk repair software is provided above, for you to consider and try if you like. What Mac OS X repair tools do you like? Is there another Mac Disk Repair utility you’d suggest? Please leave a comment to help others, or if the above tools have helped you. And as for hardware, click this link if you want to repair hard drive-Mac.
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