what are your favorite software tools for repairs?

[berbes]

hello. i've been doing this for years, but, i know things change and there have got to be some great softwares i've missed. i currently use ultra virus killer for a good one click solution for general cleaning maintenance and virus / malware issues (a nice suite of programs in it for that), as well as hitman pro, (and combofix when it's a win 7). i've recently found malwarefox to be good, so i'm wondering what else i should have in the toolbelt that i don't know about?

thanks for the wisdom!
berbes

 

[smashjohn]

I'm a big fan of Vipre Rescue (free download). I use the paid AV software, but they let everyone download the rescue version of their software. Run from safe-mode command prompt, it's pretty effective at finding and removing everything from root kits to reg hacks.

 

[jsmithepa]

The only tool I use is Macrium, then before that Ghost.

I don't bother spending time running a cleaner blah-blah. At sign of trouble I just reload my last-known-to-be-good OS image and am back in business in 15 minutes, guaranteed to have obliterated whatever just infected me, including a not-so-great latest update.

 

[berbes]

good ideas, guys. the problem i run into alot is, when using the windows media disc, it will not even show me previous restore points, which in some cases i know 100% they exist. windows will ask me to choose the operating system, and go back into that loop all us techs hear about every other windows 10 update.

i'm always looking for a program like ultra virus killer, which does alot with a few clicks.

 

[USAFRet]

good ideas, guys. the problem i run into alot is, when using the windows media disc, it will not even show me previous restore points, which in some cases i know 100% they exist. windows will ask me to choose the operating system, and go back into that loop all us techs hear about every other windows 10 update.

i'm always looking for a program like ultra virus killer, which does alot with a few clicks.

Restore Points on that same drive are a fools errand.

Actual backup images, off on another drive...done.

For fixes?
Hitman, Malwarebytes. Anything more than that...full recovery from a previous Image.

 

[berbes]

excellent point, as always, USAF. now, when i have to save the client's info and start fresh (as it happens 80% of the time) and then put the info on a freshly partitioned and reformatted HD, what is your workflow for this project? i'm always looking for new ways of doing things and would appreciate your thoughts.

thanks for the info

 

[USAFRet]

excellent point, as always, USAF. now, when i have to save the client's info and start fresh (as it happens 80% of the time) and then put the info on a freshly partitioned and reformatted HD, what is your workflow for this project? i'm always looking for new ways of doing things and would appreciate your thoughts.

thanks for the info

Personal data is the only thing irreplaceable.
Anything else can be obtained and reinstalled. OS, applications, whatever.

You can't get back your tax return from 2 years ago, or your grandsons baby pics.
Instill in yourself and your users the value of actual backups. Multiple backups, on different drives/media, in different places.

In the even of a dead drive, simply replace the drive, and recover a full image from a recent (last night) backup.
Failing that, do a full install of the OS and applications, and recover the data from whatever backup.
Failing that...that is a good life lesson, to have actual backups.

Any data that lives on only one drive may be said to not exist at all. There are far too many pathways to data loss to trust a single drive.

Oops, I formatted the wrong drive
Oops, my son downloaded a ransomware virus
Oops, my cat walked across the keyboard and wiped out my theses
Oops...lightning strike
Or simply....My drive died.


For virus removal? Again, backups, but also install safe computing practices.
"I downloaded thing thing and...."
"I clicked on..."

Most infections are not "hackers" getting in, but rather something the user did. All the AV and border security does not matter if the user invites it in.

I've seen cases here, where the user was warned 3 times by his AV that it was a virus.
Don't do this
Don't do this
Don't do this
Eventually, he turned the AV OFF, and downloaded whatever it was. Because he just had to have that expensive tool to make a new cat video.
Poof....infected.

Some viruses are just too nasty to mess with. And often, you're never quite sure if bits of it are still lingering.
Go nuclear.

Prevention is the key, and having a viable, tested backup solution.
http/www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3383768/backup-situation-home.html