Re: [Hampshire] Boot disk/liveCD for Windows recovery?

> Okay, joking aside there are a quite a few Windows boot discs on offer
> here[1], and IIRC there are a few HOWTOS that will tell you how to
> modify them so that (in theory) you can run something like AVG with the
> latest def's on there.

I wasn't completely joking...

If I were recovering the machine, I'd grab user data off using the FC7
LiveCD, and then nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Attempting to rebuild compromised machines is usually more work than a
fresh install, and often less effective; given that AV is generally a
reactive process (i.e. it only works once signatures have been derived for
live exploits), you can't be sure that your machine is clean. Given the
(virus-ridden) state before a rebuild, there's too strong a chance of a
compromise surviving the rebuild for my taste.

Customers don't like this story - they've been told that Windows is Easy,
whereas Linux is Hard. But the fact of it is that the reason many people
see Windows as Easy is because they donm't actually do any of the work -
that's left to us lot, often unpaid. And that's why, with a very few
exceptions, I no longer work on Windows boxes for free.

Vic.