Virus rescue disks can be used in cases when your antivirus program has stopped functioning. They are available from various antivirus vendors, and they’re easy to use. Users can modify the method by which the program scans the system.
Some offer an experience that is more familiar to desktop users, while others provide users with a range of extra utilities. For instance, the Kaspersky rescue disk is powered by the Xfce Linux desktop and features Firefox, Thumar File Manager and a few other applications that are able to be used for various functions. The rescue disk also comes with an option that lets you to select specific files for scanning service or indicate if you want it to skip files of a certain size.
Other rescue disks are not equipped with sophisticated interfaces, such as Trend Micro’s. It doesn’t have an interactive graphical user interface and you navigate using arrow keys. This basic rescue disk however, compensates for its lack of features with a small download size as well as a strong track of the detection of malware in the real-world tests conducted by AV-Comparatives.
If you’re looking for a user-friendly product should consider ESET’s SysRescue Live it has one of the most refined and well-rounded interfaces on this list. It’s based upon the same antivirus engine that is used in ESET’s full-featured software and its user-friendly interface provides numerous options to select from, such as the option of a smart or custom scan, setting exclusions, and the option of running either a thorough or quick scan.