The best part of the viruses are that they are operating system dependent. In other words a virus that is written for windows operating system will not infect a linux based system. This is because of many reasons -
The difference in the file system and the file types in both operating systems.
The
autorun.inf is identified by windows (used for autorunning executables like .bat and .exe) but is not idetified by linux os.
The good trick to access files from infected system or infected usb drive is to use a live linux boot cd and accessing the files without any fear of virus infection. You even dont have to install it on hard disk. It is live.
There are many live boot cd/dvd available on internet.
One of them is
lucid puppy 5.2 which can be easily downloaded from
http://puppylinux.org/main/Download%20Latest%20Release.htm
or another version from
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/puppylinux/puppy-5.1.1/lupu-511.iso
both are live bootabble cd iso image.
You can download it by using
idm http://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/download.html
and burn it using cd/dvd burner like
CDBurnerXP which is a free
CD, DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray burning software from
http://cdburnerxp.se/download
If you want to boot the lucid puppy from usb (pen drive or memory card) and not from cd then you can use following two tools.
You can download
unetbootin from
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ and run it. It will ask for the iso file . Provide it with the path of iso file which you just downloaded. insert your usb drive (this pendrive is not the one from which you have to access the data) and backup your existing data if necessary. Unetbootin will make your usb drive bootable.
Another tool is Universal USB Installer
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
It can also make usb bootable like unetbootin but
please backup your existing pendrive data if necessary.
Now the main trick. You have now got atleast a bootable pendrive or a bootable cd of lucid puppy linux.
Insert the bootable cd (before restarting the computer) or the bootable pendrive (after shuting down the computer). Till now dont connect the pendrive from which you have to access the data. Now restart computer and make changes to your bios settings for first boot device (either usb or cd/dvd which ever is applicable to you). After that the computer will boot and lucid puppy os will load in live environment.
Some times in some computers while booting live os , it gives errors due to the floppy drive or its controller. If this occors and live os dont boot then go to bios again by restarting your computer and set floppy disk drive to None and/or dissable the floppy disk controller. After that reboot and this time live os will boot.
when its desktop appears , now you can attach your pendrive from which you have to access the data.
You can also easily access your files from your internal hard disk drive without any fear of virus infection.
Now you can easily and safely copy/move your data between your harddisk and pendrive without further infecting any of them. After your work is done , remove all your storage media cd/usb by right clicking and unmounting them (or simply shut down and remove all). After that you can normally login to your windows as usual.
So, you can get relief of virus without using any antivirus.
All these process will not effect/modify your harddisk or your previosly installed operating system (os) because you were in live environment.
If your computer bios dont support usb booting and you want to boot your usb then read my previous post
"
older computers that can't boot from usb - the howto guide" at
http://averma82.blogspot.in/2011/02/older-computers-that-cant-boot-from-usb.html
You can mail me to abhi.82@hotmail.com
Please post any suggestions or comments.
