Saturday, January 31, 2015

virus - Recovering infected Windows files?


I was wondering: When an anti-virus application detects a virus and the file(s) affected is/are Windows system files, is it a good idea to


1) reboot with a bootable USB keydrive running eg. Linux + ntfs-3g, and


2) recover those files from a Windows DVD as an alternative to the Windows Recovery procedure (in case the user hasn't built a Windows Recovery in a long while)?


It seems faster/easier to just recover the original files from a DVD than restoring the whole disk from a trusted restore point, but maybe there are other issues?


Thank you.


Answer



I always copy system files from a known clean PC with the same OS and service pack level, system files on the DVD are usually outdated. SFC may work, unless the virus infected those stored backups of windows system files.


When in doubt, back up personal data and wipe the drive and re-install the OS clean, scan backed up files before transferring them to the clean installed system.


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