usb first aid

How to Manually Remove Virus From USB Flash Drive without Formatting

How to Manually Remove Virus From USB Flash Drive without Formatting

Security, Tips/Troubleshooting , 20 Comments

In this article, we will discuss about how to manually remove virus from a USB Flash Drive without formatting it. This means that if you follow this tutorial, your data will not be deleted while the virus will be removed from the pen drive.

USB Flash drives are a major source of virus infection. Most computer networks will get infected if one computer gets infected. If this happens, it’s always a lot of pain removing viruses from the networks. Sometimes, users will need to format their hard drives to get rid of the viruses. By using this guide, you will be able to remove the virus without formatting the Flash drive.

Please note that this method will work on a system which is not affected by viruses. Otherwise you may not be able to delete virus files.

Indication of Virus

1. When you plugin a drive, Some Autoplay feature polls you to select an option. If you see a folder like icon that reads open using the program provided on the device. Does not select that. Also does not select Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer. Since the virus can execute with these options. Cancel it.

Note: Windows 7 has disabled the Autorun Option for Flash Drives, since the autorun source is usually unknown.

Autorun dialog for USB drive

2. You will also see a folder like icon instead of Flash Drive Icon in my computer

My Computer

Removal of Virus

Un-hiding hidden files

In Start Menu Click RUN and then type cmd. Type your Flash Drive Letter followed with colon. Here

J:

type attrib -r -a -s -h *.* and press enter.

This will unhide all files.

Correct Way of Opening Flash Drives

Do not open the Flash Drive by double clicking the icon in my Computer or By Right clicking and then Open,Explorer

Open the USB Drive by using Folders Icon.Folder tree button

Click on the Folders icon then select your Flash Drive

Select USB drive from Folders tree

OR

You can select Your Flash Drive by using the Address Bar in Windows Explorer.

Opening flash drive from address bar

OR

Type your Drive letter in the Address BarType drive letter in address bar

After Opening the drive. Select Details View using this icondetails view icon

Identifying and removing the virus

You can now see what the virus does with your Flash Drive. The Virus disguises itself as folder. You can see that system file icon as illustrated here is like folder icon. You actually click on the file.

Actually you click on those virus file thinking of them as folder and the virus executes. In the detailed view you can clearly see that the system file has a Type description of Application and the system folder has a Type description of Folder.

Delete all such files. Carefully do not delete the folders.

Delete the Autorun.inf file

Deleting autorun.inf file

You can also delete these files using 7-ZIP. Since it shows such virus files as having application file icon.

Open 7-ZIP and Type your Flash Drive Letter in the Address Bar. Here J:\

Delete all the folders and files you think that you did not save them.

The folders could have names like Recycler,System Volume. Delete them also.

You can also see the Recycle Bin like icons delete them too.

In this illustration these files are virus files

0o.com,system.exe,2m66sr.exe,abk.bat

Deleting suspecious files from usb drive

Now Scan your Flash Drive with some Anti-Virus to delete exe infecting viruses. You can also use a portable antivirus. This is because some application files (which can be some programs like Adobe Reader Setup or else) be affected with exe virus.

If you do not have a proper Anti-Virus then Click on Search and select All files and Folders

In the All or part of file name field type *.exe

In the Look In field select Your Flash Drive

In the More Advanced options select Search System Folders and Search Hidden files and Folders.

When search is complete delete all files

Protect Your Computer From USB Viruses With USB Disk Manager

Protect Your Computer From USB Viruses With USB Disk Manager

Security, Software, Windows, Windows 7 , , 1 Comment

USB Disk Manager is a small and portable utility that helps you secure your computer against USB viruses and malware.

If you are a frequent user of USB flash drives, you better know that USB flash drives are a major source of infecting a computer with viruses and malware. The major reason of this is the auto-run feature of the USB drives in Windows. Viruses and malware get installed in a USB drive and then automatically start running if auto-run feature is enabled in Windows.

Although Windows 7 has taken steps to improve the security against USB viruses but still new techniques get created everyday. If you are a network administrator, you must have disabled the USB port in order to save your network from these kinds of threats. But not any more. Now you can use the USB Disk Manager to secure your computer from USB viruses.

USB Disk Manager preferences

USB Disk Manager is a portable application, hence can be a part of usb first aid, which can give you control over how the USB flash drives can be accessed on your computer.

There are three modes of protection available in USB Disk Manager

  1. Write protect – You can enable or disable Write protect feature of the USB drive. If you enable this feature, you will not be able to write anything on the USB drive. Hence the USB flash drive will act as a read-only device.
  2. Execute deny – This is the most common function that you should use because it will not allow any executable file to be run from the USB flash drive directly. You can still run the file by copying it on your computer.
  3. Disable USB – This option completely disable all the USB ports in the computer. This can be useful if you want to prevent access to or from the USB ports immediately.

You can also disable autorun feature of the USB drives which is the main cause of automatically executing viruses. To disable autorun feature, just go to settings and check the checkbox saying “Disable Windows Autorun for USB Disks”.

Please note that all the above features implemented by the USB Disk Manager are in Windows only. These are not permanent settings for the USB drive itself. So if you want to disable a feature on two computers, you have to use this tool on both the computers.

Download USB Disk Manager

4 Best Free Portable Antivirus Software For Your USB Drives

4 Best Free Portable Antivirus Software For Your USB Drives

Featured, Security, Windows , , 0 Comments

Portable Antivirus software can be run without the need for any installation. So they can be taken into the USB flash drives or CD/DVD Drives and run directly from there without even copying the files to the target computer. This can be useful if you want to clean infected computer with no Antivirus.

All the antivirus software listed below can be updated to include the latest signature. But the only problem with them is that they cannot be used for real time protection. They are only designed for the purpose of scanning the PC for malware and threats and then trying to clean the computer.

Please note that these antivirus software cannot be used as complete protection for your computer, since they assist professionals to clean infected computers only. This is because; they do not provide real time protection.

I am listing some of the Portable antivirus software which are free.

ClamWin

Clamwin antivirus

It is a popular Portable Antivirus. It is open-source application.

At first run it will require you to download signature updates.

After updating it can be used to clean your computer. It supports automatic updating of the virus database. It can also integrate into Windows Explorer shell so that you can easily scan a file or folder with a single click.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 2011

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

A free Tool provided by Kaspersky to clean an infected computer.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 2011 is a free software used for removing viruses, Trojans, and spyware and other types of malware. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 2011 uses same algorithm as of Kaspersky Anti Virus for detecting malware threats. The utility can be used as a free on-demand antivirus software.

Emsisoft Emergency USB Stick

a-squared

The program can be used to remove Trojans, Spyware, Adware, Worms, Dialers, Keyloggers and other malign programs. It also offers the option to quarantine infected files.

The program is available in two interfaces one is GUI based a-squared Free and other is command line based scanner.
The graphical interface gives you the option for scanning in different modes.

McAfee Labs Stinger

McAfee lab stinger

Stinger is a small and simple application for removing viruses, trojans from an infected computer. The scanning is based on next-generation scan engine technology.

The stinger can detect some specific viruses. It detects and removes threats as listed in the “List Viruses” in the Stinger application.

Must Have Network Tools For Every Network Administrator

Must Have Network Tools For Every Network Administrator

Software , 0 Comments

Network management is quite a hectic task especially when done with the built in tools in the Operating System. While Linux includes some advanced network management tool, Windows only gives the option of a limited number of basic network management tools. If you are looking for a free all in one collection of network management tools, look no farther than Network Stuff.

network stuff

Network Stuff is an open source and portable set of network management tools which include a vast variety of almost all types of free tools to configure and monitor the network from anywhere. Network Stuff contains the following set of tools:

  1. tcp/udp telnet
  2. ping/traceroute
  3. DNS resolver
  4. Whois
  5. Arp
  6. Stats and TCP/UDP/IP tables (iphelper functions)
  7. TCP/UDP/ICMP/CGI multithreaded scan (TCP and CGI scan could be done throw HTTP or socks proxy)
  8. Raw packet capture (multiple options including application name)
  9. Raw packet forging
  10. Wake on LAN and Remote Shutdown
  11. Interactive TCP/UDP Transparent Proxy

All the tools can be opened in the same parent window. If you want to see the usage of each tool separately, you can go to Network Stuff documentation. The problem with Network Tools is that although it is very useful, the interface seems to be a little disturbing. You will need to find out the function you want to use first. But overall it is a must have utility for the usb first aid kit.

Download Network Stuff network management tools.

Easily Tweak User Account Settings In Windows 7 With Accounts Tuner

Easily Tweak User Account Settings In Windows 7 With Accounts Tuner

Software, Windows 7 , , 0 Comments

Windows uses a separate control panel item for managing user accounts for users of the computer. Although the control panel provides easy to use user interface and options for performing different operations on the user accounts, it does not provide all the settings in one place.

Accounts Tuner is a software which can be very handy if you want to tweak different user settings in one place. Selecting a user in Accounts Tuner will give you different details about the user including last logon date, password age, logon count and bad password count.

You can change different settings of a user account. The settings include the following:

  • Account Disabled
  • Account Locked
  • Password Expired
  • Password Required
  • Password Never Expires
  • User Can Change Password

accounts tuner

You can also connect to a server if you’re in a Windows domain and set these parameters on the server which will apply the policy to all the computers in the domain. The settings that you can tweak in the server configuration include the following:

  • Maximum password age
  • Minimum password age
  • Minimum password length
  • Bad password before lockout
  • Lockout duration
  • Bad password timeout
  • Password history length

The only drawback that I felt in Accounts Tuner is that it is not portable. It has to be installed on the local computer. If it were portable, it would have been a utility work keeping in the Network Administrator’s USB first aid kit.

Download Accounts Tuner

How To Set NTFS Permissions Easily In Windows 7

How To Set NTFS Permissions Easily In Windows 7

Software, Windows 7 , , , 0 Comments

Setting NTFS file permissions are not a straight forward job in Windows. One has to know a bit about file permissions to configure the NTFS file permissions. To configure NTFS file permissions, one has to go to the file or folder properties and then click on the Security tab which will give the options to set the security permissions.

NTFS File Permissions

As you can see that it’s pretty difficult for a newbie to set the file permissions for any file or folder in Windows. NTFS Permission Tools is a portable and free tool that will make the configuration of NTFS file permissions very easy. You only have to open NTFS Permission Tools and then drag and drop the file or folder to the GUI of NTFS Permission Tools to configure its NTFS file permissions.

NTFS Permission Tools

As you can see in the above screenshot, when you drag and drop the folder on the window of NTFS Permission Tools, you’ll be able to easily set basic file permissions on the go. You can simply click on Permissions drop down menu to allow, read only or deny a folder or file. In the Account drop down menu, you can select the users on whom the permission will be applied. You can also select the owner of the file or folder in the Owner drop down menu.

To go advanced, just right click the item and select Advanced. Here you can add multiple users and groups and set different security settings for them. You can also configure one file or folder with appropriate permissions and then copy it to all other files and folders on which you want to apply the same settings.

NTFS Permission Tools Advanced Settings

The permissions backup and restore feature enables you to rollback changes if anything goes wrong. This tool can be very useful for administrators who work with NTFS file permissions a lot. You can keep this little software in your USB first aid kit for troubleshooting purposes.

Download NTFS Permission Tools [753 KB]

SimpleSysInfo, Portable System Information Tool

SimpleSysInfo, Portable System Information Tool

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A system information tool can be very helpful in getting information about a computer and it can further help and investigate the causes of any problem in the system. Windows also includes a system information tool that can be used to get information about a particular computer. But there are times, for example if a virus has infected the Windows System Information utility, then there is a need to get system information through third party tools.

There are several system information tools but I prefer a portable one so that I may be able to keep it in my USB drive and use it in my usb first aid kit. SimpleSysInfo is a portable system information tool that gives information about the hardware and software installed in a computer in a tabbed interface. The tabbed interface makes it easy for use to get information about a specific area like Operating System or Network very easily.

SimpleSysInfo

The tabs in SimpleSysInfo include General which provides general information about the system, Operating System which provides details about the Operating System installed like Service Pack Level, language, OS type, Build no., Keyboard layout, installation date etc., Memory which gives details about RAM including status of memory consumption and memory banks, Processor gives detailed information about the processor including cores, manufacturer, Processor ID, voltage, external clock, L2 cache, socket etc.

There are other tabs that give information about the hard drive, network cards, video and sound cards and settings and the office suite installed in the PC. You can easily print, email or save all this information through the buttons on SimpleSysInfo user interface.

SimpleSysInfo also lists some very useful system tools that can be very helpful in troubleshooting and keeping the computer on top form. The list includes system utilities like disk defragmenter, registry editor, system restore, service manager, Windows Firewall.

Overall, SimpleSysInfo is a very good tool to have in your collection of portable troubleshooting apps.

Download SimpleSysInfo

SimpleSysInfo is also available separately for U3 enabled USB drives.

Superantispyware Portable Free Download

Security , , 0 Comments

SuperAntispyware is the best antispyware out there with over 30 million users around the world. SuperAntispyware can get rid of spyware, adware, malware, trojans, worms, parasites and other malicious software installed on an infected system. There is a free version of SuperAntispyware as well as a Professional one. The Professional version includes real time scanning and protection.

If a system is infected by a malware which will not allow any antivirus or antispyware to be installed, SuperAntispyware comes with a portable version too. It can be run from the USB drive without any installation. The best feature of SuperAntispyware is that it can reset many Windows settings that were disabled by malware. It includes functions to enable Start Menu Run Dialog, enable System Tray, enable Task Manager, enable Windows Control Panel, enable Windows Explorer Folder Options, reset Home page, reset Internet Zone security, reset local page, remove Desktop Screen Saver, remove Explorer Policy Restrictions, remove WinOldApp Policy Restrictions, repair Desktop policies and a lot more.

SuperAntispyware can scan the system for malware and then remove them conveniently. You can update the signatures regularly to stay up to date with the latest definitions which will make sure that SuperAntispyware is able to detect and remove the latest threats. The Professional Edition of SuperAntispyware also includes heuristics scanning which can detect the threats even the malware which don’t have a regular definition yet in the SuperAntispyware database.

Download SuperAntispyware Portable

Please note that the portable version of SuperAntispyware comes in a COM file which can be useful if the malware is blocking EXE files from running.

21 Quick Fixes For Windows 7 Problems

21 Quick Fixes For Windows 7 Problems

Tweaking, Windows 7 , , , , 0 Comments

If a virus attacks on your Windows 7 PC and is successful, it will probably try to disable default Windows troubleshooting and monitoring functions like the task manager, command prompt, registry editor etc. This situation is really frustrating because one is not able to do anything to troubleshoot and remove or at least disable the virus infections.
7 Quick Fix is a small portable tool that provides 21 quick fixes to problems with Windows 7. Let’s look at the features of 7 Quick Fix.

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