The Best Antivirus Rescue Disks

If malware hinders your ability to run normal antivirus software bootable rescue disks may help. These disks allow you to check your computer for malware without having to run Windows and they will often locate malware that antivirus software may miss. Some even scan the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the hard drive, a feature especially useful in eliminating persistent or difficult-to-clean threats.

These bootable software tools usually use a basic text interface. However, they usually come with customization options so that you can choose to scan specific types of files or folders, only size or type of file, and many more. The top of these tools feature a graphic interface and support for more advanced threats including rootkits as well as some varieties of ransomware.

AVG Rescue CD, which has a simple but extensive GUI and numerous scanning options, is a good example. It’s also one of the few programs that provide a full MBR scan which is typically impossible to achieve with an unbootable program. However it’s not among the fastest on this list and its vdr interface that is text-only isn’t for all users.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk is another excellent choice that is fast, has a well-designed UI and supports more advanced malware. It offers features that you will not find in other bootable anti-virus tools, such as the ability to scan the boot sector as well as hidden startup objects, as well fileless and the entire drive. You can also remove files to speed up the scanning time. It detected all the malware we sent, including ones that were not detected by other antivirus software.