PocketMatrix

okay, I have a laptop with about 10 different viruses infecting every file on it, pretty much, and whenever you run an EXE file, it spreads. So, it seemed a reformat was in order- but I can't, because I can't lose the data on it.

So, what did I do? I downloaded Knoppix linux (live off cd). It's what made sense. Now I can boot, and linux can't get a windows virus, so I'm temprarily saved. The problem... I need to backup my data so I can reformat, and do it so there's no viruses. Anyway, as the viruses stores themselves in every file on the HD, I'd like to remove them from them to recover my data- this is possible, because I'm not using anything but a CD-ROM and a RAMdrive which is running Linux, so I can't get reinfected when I cleanse out the whole HD.

Now... all I need is a Linux virus scanner that detects and removes windows viruses- or a linux cd-burning software, to at least recreate the documents via the wonders of CUT-AND-PASTE wihtout the viruses.

So, what do you recommend?

cant you just connect the drive to another windows pc and run the scanner from there?

If you can't do what Paul suggested (that will work fine, so long as you have the 2.5in to 3.5in adapter cable), you can..

Use the CD linux boot to copy the files off the laptop (via a network) onto a Windows machine that is running a virus checker - so long as you don't run anything before the virus checker picks up the files (not likely - the checker should pick them up on first writing), you should be OK.

To mount the destination share on linux:
share a directory on windows with write access
laptop Linux: mkdir /mnt/share
laptop Linux: smbmount //machine/share /mnt/share
laptop Linux: cp -R /mnt/whatever/my_files /mnt/share