How to Clean an Infected Computer and Copy Files Safely?

There are uncountable malware and viruses on the internet which can infect the crap out of your device. You may be able to remove some of these viruses from your device, but some threats are so hard to remove. Your device can even be controlled remotely by these threats. In order to clean your infected computer thoroughly, you have to clean it by installing a new copy of the operating system. When a person installs a new Windows or MacOS in their device, they get a chance to clean the full hard drive. By cleaning up the entire hard drive, malware and other viruses can no longer exist in your computer. It is the one-stop solution for fixing infected devices.

But before cleaning your infected PC, you should copy all important files and data in a removable disk or Pendrive. How to do this all safely? In this article, we are going to talk about just that. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started. 

How to Clean An Infected Computer?

There are several solutions for removing threats from a computer, some are easy, and some take a bit of time. But all methods include cleaning or scanning the hard drive before transferring files to a removable storage device. In this article, we are going to use a way which might be unique for some users. Once that is done, you will be able to copy files from your device safely. Let’ begin. 

Cleaning Hard Drive Using an Antivirus Boot Disk

Antivirus Boot Disk is an antivirus tool which is used to clean a critical infected computer. It is not an ordinary antivirus that we generally use on our devices. You don’t need to install it on your operating systems in order to use it in your device. It comes pre-installed in a bootable USB flash drive or a DVD. You have to boot Antivirus Boot Disk before Windows loads. It works much like when you install a new Windows and boot the installation drive at startup.

In the same way, you will need to boot this bootable antivirus. This bootable antivirus kills malware when they are not active or deactivated. The malware only activates once your operating system boots up, but it removes all of those viruses in the boot menu. That is why these kind of antivirus are a robust solution against modern malware. 

First, you need to create a bootable antivirus disk in order to clean your infected computer. Also, ensure that you use another safe computer for creating a bootable antivirus drive. Here’s how to create an Antivirus Boot Disk using Bitdefender Rescue CD bootable antivirus:

1. Download the “Bitdefender Rescue CD’ tool using your favorite browser. 
2. Also, download the “UNetbootin” tool from the internet. This tool will help us to create a bootable antivirus drive. Ensure that you have to download these both tools in a PC which is not infected. 
3. Now install the Unetbootin software using the on-screen instructions. Once that is done, you have to launch it.  
4. Insert the USB drive which you want to use for making bootable antivirus. Please ensure that the USB drive doesn’t have any essential data because it will be all wiped in the process. 
5. Once the Unetbootin tool appears on the screen, tap the Diskimage option. 
6. Now from this popup window, navigate to the Bitdefender Rescue ISO file. 
7. Choose the USB drive which you have plugged. Hit the OK button. 

Let the process complete, and once it is done, you can eject the drive. 

How to Use Bitdefender Rescue to Clean Threats?

1. First of all, turn off your PC entirely and then insert the antivirus bootable USB drive in your infected device. 
2. Now turn on the infected device and press the F11 or F12 key to boot the flash drive(boot key is different in every device). 
3. Now you have to choose the Pendrive that is plugged in using the arrow keys. 
4. Choose the “Start the Bitdefender Rescue CD in English” option and then hit Enter. 
5. Do agree to the EULA and then the process of cleaning will start by itself. The antivirus will scan and remove all malware and viruses automatically. Please don’t press any random key during the process. 
6. Once the scan completes run the scan once more to ensure that your device is now completely safe. Some viruses might remain even after the first scan, that is why the second scan is essential. 
7. Now turn your computer normally and copy all essential files into a removable disk. Once that is done, you can easily remove the current operating system to clean any remaining threats from your device. Don’t forget to format all drives before installing a new copy of Windows. 

A new Windows installation will not only remove the threats but also makes your device faster and smoother.  

Source:- https://manage-notron.com/how-to-clean-an-infected-computer-and-copy-files-safely/

Mia Davis is a self-professed security expert; she has been making the people aware of the security threats.Her passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. He writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.