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New Microsoft Emergency Tool for Malware Infected Windows PCs
Everyone should have an emergency boot disk. In fact, it doesn’t hurt to have several. There are a number of articles at TSA describing how to create a bootable rescue disk (for example, at this link and also at this link).
Adding to the boot disk offerings is some new software for creating a disk from Microsoft called the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Beta. It is designed specifically for malware infected systems. The description says that it is “a recovery tool that can help you start an infected PC and perform an offline scan to help identify and remove rootkits and other advanced malware.” It can be downloaded at this Microsoft link. There is both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. The bootable disk that is created can be used on Windows XP SP3, Vista, and Windows 7. Some details on how to use the tool to create a boot disk are at ghacks.net.
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This tips section is maintained by Vic Laurie. Vic runs a Windows blog called The PC Informant and also operates a computer education website.
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For all users of this tool, please check this folder: C:\Windows\Standalone System Sweeper
It includes the downloaded program, and all of its definitions, even old ones. Took 1.07 GB of my space!
Safe to delete, because the program downloads everything in the first place. I've personally added a CCleaner include rule (3rd option).
Thanks for pointing that out.
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
Central Processor AMD Athlon(tm) II X4 640 Processor
Graphics
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce GT 430
Video Memory 1.00 GB
Screen Resolution 1600 x 900
Storage
Total Memory 4.00 GB
Free Memory 2.41 GB
Total Hard disk 1863.00 GB
Free Hard disk 1367.30 GB
I/O
Mouse HID-compliant mouse
Keyboard USB Input Device
windows 7 64bit
i get 0x8004cc05 error also
I also tried to run it from a CD, system boot and chugs along then it stops at the 0x8004cc05 error. Intel D875PB motherboard running Win XP SP3 with 1GB RAM.
I get error: 0x8004cc05 after it loads. XP SP3
I also got this error on startup and I have one gig of RAM with Win XP SP3. I guess I'll wait a couple of weeks and try again.
How much memory does the machine have? The rescue system requires a minimum of 768MB. I got the same error when trying to run it in a virtual machine with inadequate RAM allocated - I increased it to a gig and it worked flawlessly after that.
It could be something else though. As v.laurie said, it is a beta and most certainly has some bugs that Microsoft will hopefully squash.
IronPlatypus makes a good point about memory requirements.
Thanks for the report. Many have used the software without incident but another report of this error is at Windows Seven Forums. (http://www.sevenforums.com/news/166407-microsoft-system-sweeper.html) The software is beta and it looks like it has some bugs. There are a multitude of Windows configurations and Windows is very complex. Let's hope Microsoft fixes it.
I also read about this on Ghacks and was wondering when it would be mentioned on TSA. That was certainly quick! :)
That looks very similar to the 1998 chaos.
Be carefull.
@Diogenh Altusk:
Care to elaborate? Any problems that you know of?
@v.laurie:
That sounds to me like someone who is still running Windows 98 - or at least applying a bad experience from "way back when" to today.
Example: Customers that tell me because Norton was good in 1997 it is still a good package today.
;) ;)
Also people who say that because Norton was bad a few years ago, it's bad today without any justification or current experience.
Norton is still good :-)
But the freeware option on this site can achieve comparable levels of protection.
Cheers,
Tony
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