If malware is preventing you from being able to run the normal antivirus software, bootable rescue disks can assist. These disks allow you to scan your computer without running Windows and often find files that regular antivirus software might overlook. Some can even scan https://totalavantivirusreview.com/best-antivirus-rescue-disks-to-use-in-2021 the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the hard drive, a feature particularly effective in eliminating persistent or difficult to clean threats.
These bootable software tools usually offer a basic text interface, however they do offer customization options so that you can select to scan specific folders or files, just file types or sizes, and much more. The most effective of these tools will have an graphical user interface as well as support for more advanced threats such as rootkits or ransomware.
AVG Rescue CD is a good example, with a basic but a full GUI and a wide range of scanning options. It’s also one of the few to offer an entire MBR scan which is often impossible to perform from a non-bootable program. It’s not the fastest program on this list and its user-friendly text-only interface isn’t for everyone.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk is a different top choice that is fast, has a user-friendly interface, and supports more advanced malware. It comes with features that you can’t find in other bootable anti-virus tools, such as the ability to scan the boot sector as well as hidden startup objects, as well as fileless and the entire drive. It can also exclude files to speed up the time required to scan. It identified all the malware we sent, including those that weren’t detected by other antivirus software.