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Free AVG Rescue CD Helps Get Unbootable PCs Working
AVG have just released a free rescue CD that can be used to recover your computer when the system cannot be loaded normally, such as after an extensive or deep-rooted virus infection.
The AVG Rescue CD enables you to fully remove infections from an otherwise inoperable PC and render the system bootable again
This could also be handy for folks who this week were locked out of their PCs by a faulty update installed by BitDefender and Bullguard (which uses the same engine and signatures) which rendered many 64 bit machines useless.
The AVG Rescue CD aims to help people so affected to recover their system. Essentially, it is a portable version of AVG Anti-Virus embedded in a version of Linux so it doesn't need Windows to operate.
You can choose to download for use with either as a bootable CD or USB stick. Apart from the AV program the software also contains a variety of useful system tools for restarting a PC such as such as a file manager and registry editor.
The AVG Rescue CD is completely free of charge. There is a FAQ and free forum for the product, but only people with an AVG commercial license are entitled to receive technical support. The AVG Rescue CD is currently only available in English. More information and download links here:
http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd#tba2
A user guide for AVG Rescue CD is available here :
http://www.avg.com/us-en/226386
The user guide contains steps to make the bootable CD, and also step by step guide to create a USB bootable device. Some steps are to be given proper attention while preparing the USB stick, as a wrong step in choosing the proper disk may render Windows unbootable. So, please read the steps carefully. The user guide also shows how to use the Rescue CD, along with screenshots. Users are advised to read the user guide carefully, before attempting to create CD/USB stick, and also before using the Rescue CD.
Video tutorials on using the AVG Rescue CD are also available on this page :
http://www.avg.com/us-en/tutorials
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thanks for help a merry christmas
AVG - jumping on the bandwagon with the rest... Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is an epic live CD...
Anybody try BitDefender? I've saved a few PC's with it and it seems to work well. It uses Knoppix to boot, so you can even get the internet access and update the program before you use it.
Dosent seem to work with full drive encryption :< wont mount any volumes( i may be doing somthing wrong but im pretty sure its beacuse the rescue cd dosent recognise the drive :C)
Yeah, you will have to either decrypt the drive first or find a way to add whatever encryption program you are using to the boot cd..
I downloaded both AVG and Antivir rescue disks, however I use Avast as my Virus program. In order to use either of these will I need to install their virus programs, since they may not be up to date when I need them?
Thank You
Hal
You do not need to install their respective antivirus programs, in order to use the rescue CDs. The rescue CDs already have the portable version of the antivirus program, and will work independently.
The point about updating of definition is a good one. If you read the User Guide of AVG Rescue CD, you can see it talks about updating the definitions. The rescue CD is actually a Linux live CD, and so, when you boot with the CD, it will detect and mount the hard disks, and will also set the network connections. On starting the program itself, it asks about updating the definitions, so you do not have to worry about it.
You can also perform an offline update with the definitions file downloaded separately, and kept on the hard disk, or on a flash drive. The User Guide explains how you can do that. Please read the User Guide.
Avira, and other rescue CDs have similar options, to perform definitions update.
Thank You
Hal
Just wondering if anyone has compared this with the Antivir Rescue CD which I have been using for some time under Gizmo's recommendation. Is there any reason to believe that AVG is better, seeing as their regular anti-virus program doesn't compare favorably to Antivir's detection rates?
Antivir Rescue System available at:
http://www.free-av.com/en/tools/12/avira_antivir_rescue_system.html
Houston - Looking Good - so far. Easy Download & Extract to USB Stick & if No Crashes - gets my Vote for a Free Rescue Program.
Running Windows 7 64 bit ,Downloaded CD-ISO file burned CD with Image burn,
Set laptop to boot with Cd-ROM Program ran great pretty easy to navigate through menus.
I could not update /connect to internet did not spend much time on this. I am running wireless so sure more configuration is needed.
Just wanted to run the scan and reboot back to Windows
Program is a keeper
Thank You !
John
Has anyone looked at some other rescue CDs.
A list is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_live_CDs#Rescue_and_repair_live_CDs
How about Best Rescue CD ?
I d'l'd this and burned the CD. Booted from it to see if it worked, made no changes to Win installation. Rebooted computer and found that the exercise had deleted system files ntldr and ntdetect.com
Took a while to restore things...
Pete
I managed to snag some images of the AVG Bootable USB media:
http://pc-babble.blogspot.com/2010/03/avg-bootable-usb-rescure-media-ima...
Thanks, but these screenshots are present on the User Guide page too. The link is in the article.
Thanks MidnightCowboy, will add it to my tool kit I take to people's houses now and again for extra work
link not work!
Its working very well... check things at your end.
If you right click on the downloaded file and if you've been following Gizmo's top recommendations you should have an "Burn using ImgBurn" option.
There are tutorials here http://www.avg.com/us-en/tutorials
Hi just downloaded this but cant open 'Read Me' file - no association - cant see it in file associations list! any advice - o/s vista home premium
Right click on the file, and choose a suitable application like notepad in the application list, for "Open with".
Thanx but there are no applications listed in 'open with'??
Erm, that is a problem. Well, then open notepad, or any other text/word editor. Then using the file open menu, browse to the directory of ReadMe file, select it, and then open it :).
success! thankyou for your assistance!
Welcome :). Glad to help.
am I correct in assuming I now need to change the bios boot sequence so usb removable divice will boot first?
If you have downloaded the rescue CD for USB stick, then yes, you will have to change the boot sequence in order to boot from the USB stick. Some older computers might not have that option though.
If you have downloaded the rescue CD for CD creation, then you should check to see if optical drive is up in the order for boot sequence.
You will have to burn the ISO file on a CD, using a CD/DVD Burner.
thankyou for that comfirmation
back again!!! 2 issues
1 when I run the batch file I get the following, 'syslinux not recognised as an internal or external command, opperable programme or batch file' then it says usb should now be bootable, but I cant get it to bootup,
2. I have two items in my bios bootup list
a) usb storage disc
b) removable device
which should i use?