Half OT/ How to remove a virus on windows using Ubuntu

[Bart Silverstrim]

Eberhard Roloff wrote:
> Ashley Benton wrote:
>> Hi, I am using Ubuntu 8.10. One of my neighbors ask me to fix his 
>> computer and I am stuck. The computer is Windows 2000 and doesn't work 
>> at all by itself 
> 
> This one puzzles me. A virus/Trojan/you name it infection nearly never 
> renders a windows computer to "doesn't work at all". Are you sure, virus 
> related issues are the only problem that you  are having here?

Depends on what the OP means by not working at all. When enough has 
infected it, a system can easily slow to a crawl as they bog down 
network connections or eat the processor up.

Or cause problems with interactions with other programs.

Popups.

etc. etc...

Many users give descriptions like "my computer won't let me in" when 
they mean the desktop comes up and they can't launch internet explorer, 
for example.

the time the OP would spend trying to "fix" this system would be huge 
compared to just wiping and reinstalling, so unless there's an academic 
pursuit to trying to figure out more of what's going on with it, 
probably best to wipe/reinstall as long as the true reason isn't 
read/write errors on the disk. The fact they can mount and scan it 
without Ubuntu burping would give evidence that the drive itself should 
be okay.

> Every virus scanner that I know of, both Linux and Windows, offers three 
> options on how to handle a virus that has been detected.
> 1. Just warn
> 2. delete the affected file(s)
> 3. move those files to a save place
> 
> Use option 3.

I don't know...I think Clamscan usually just identifies malware 
signatures, not doing anything with it. It leaves it up to another 
script or program to do with the malware what you please...since it was 
primarily designed to work with email servers that often have scripting 
integrated.

> I would have save the documents
>> and reinstall his Windows but there are no rescue cds or floppies and I 
>> am a little lost as I don't how I can help him anymore.
> 
> Ask him, if he prefers to work fully virus-free in the years to come?

If there are no rescue CD's/reinstall CD's, and no i386 folder with 
setup files, you may have to have him bite the bullet and either buy a 
full version of Windows XP or a new home PC. Even if you had a CD you'd 
need a key to reinstall.