Many of the top antivirus providers offer a no-cost bootable recovery disk for disinfecting your computer after an infection. These are basically Linux-based tools designed to clean an infected computer that won’t start up or cannot be checked by a regular antivirus software program running in Windows. I suggest the Kaspersky disc due to its ease of use (though it may not work with certain Dell systems).
If you prefer, you can pick up similar features from the Avira and ESET rescue disks that come with a graphical user interface however, they require an external CD or USB device to start. Both options can detect and identify any malware on your system. However the virus definitions may not be updated as frequently as the Rescue Disks that are Linux-based.
The Trend Micro Rescue Disk is another good choice. It’s also among the most compact disks on the list, at around 70MB. It doesn’t feature a graphical user interface, however it runs quickly and provides a number of customization options including the ability to scan and mount specific volumes, files, and even individual folders.
In the end, you can download an excellent virus scan from the Comodo rescue disk although it’s not as flexibility of the options for Linux above. It is, however, an effective tool for detecting and eliminating viruses that hide in Windows files, preventing detection by standard antivirus programs. You can choose between text-only or a full graphical interface, as well as the option to run the smart or custom scan.