Got a heavily infected computer, need advice

yalborap

I've been handed a computer to fix that's loaded to the brim with virii, adware, and so on. To the point that it sometimes won't even boot right.

So, I need a way to fix it from outside of Windows. I vaguely remember a Linux distro that was designed for this sort of thing, but I can't remember what it was. Anyone know what it was, or if there's something else I should look towards?

Thanks in advance.

bigwah

Honestly, the best thing to do would be rebuild it if you still have the XP disc/key

Transparent

Yeah, when I encounter this situation I pretty much just do a fresh install. Maybe my skills aren't leet enough, but I've never been able to bring a windows install that far gone back to normal. Even after getting all the viri and shit off the computer it always runs crappy.

FyreWulff

If it's messing with the boot process, it might just be so heavily entrenched that it would be safer (yes, safer, not easier) to blow away the HDD and re-install.

To recover files you can use a live Linux boot disc, like Ubuntu.

Operator-C

There's always going to be people that will tell you you're lazy for wanting to wipe the drive and start fresh. I say, fuck those people. Sometimes... sometimes you just have to nuke a bitch. This could be one of those times.

There might be pictures, movies, and other non-executable files that need to be saved, obviously, but once those and the users (likely, undoubtedly breached) stored login/passwords are written down, getting everything else back on after a clean Windows install is easy-- just time consuming.

GrimReaper

Operator-C wrote: »

There's always going to be people that will tell you you're lazy for wanting to wipe the drive and start fresh. I say, fuck those people. Sometimes... sometimes you just have to nuke a bitch. This could be one of those times.

There might be pictures, movies, and other non-executable files that need to be saved, obviously, but once those and the users (likely, undoubtedly breached) stored login/passwords are written down, getting everything else back on after a clean Windows install is easy-- just time consuming.

From orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Actually, in terms of boot disks the best to use is bartpe/ubd when cleaning up windows machines. For example using hijackthis, regeditpe etc etc.

Dis

Backup your stuff to another HD.
Format the OS HD and Reinstall OS and Progs.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Dark Shroud

This might help you out.

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/01/5-apps-for-painless-windows-reformats-for-8-2-08-switched-thin/?rss

PeregrineFalcon

I believe that computer has activated my Trap Card

No, seriously. As hard as you can.

wunderbar

Yea, nuke it from orbit and start over.

The formula I tend to use is that if it takes 4 hours to install windows and primary apps and do windows updates, then I double that number for a benchmark. If it's going to take me more than 8 hours of time to fix an infected machine, I rebuild.