Computer viruses are of many types. Some just corrupt few files, make system slow but some are such extreme that they brick your system and make it unbootable. You can’t even install or open another operating system when you can’t boot your system. This situation is really scary but solution to this serious virus problem is available too. It is available through bootable antivirus rescue disks.
Antivirus companies know this serious issue and to help you solve this problem, they have provided bootable rescue disks of their antivirus. You can use these antivirus bootable rescue disk not only to recover your system but also to clean viruses while recovering the system.
Below here, I am providing FREE download links to 25 antivirus bootable rescue disks which covers all major antivirus. So, download bootable rescue disk image (ISO) of any antivirus you want and scroll down to the end of the post where I am telling you how to use this bootable rescue disks from antivirus to recover your system and clean its viruses.
Quick Links To Important Sections
- Antivirus Rescue Disks Download Links
- Bitdefender Rescue CD
- Norton Bootable Recovery Tool
- Kaspersky Rescue Disk
- Windows Defender Rescue Disk
- Avast Rescue Disk
- AVG Rescue CD
- ESET SysRescue
- Anvi Rescue Disk
- Avira AntiVir Rescue System
- Comodo Rescue Disk
- Hiren Boot CD
- FalconFour Ultimate Boot CD
- F-Secure Rescue Disk
- Quick Heal Emergency Disk
- Dr.Web LiveDisk
- eScan Rescue Disk
- Panda Cloud Cleaner Rescue ISO
- Vba32 Rescue
- Zillya Live CD
- G Data BootMedium
- VIPRE Rescue CD
- Sophos Bootable Antivirus
- Trinity Rescue Kit CD
- PC Tools Alternate Operating System Scanner
- SystemRescue CD
- How To Create Bootable CD/DVD
- How To Create Bootable USB
You can either follow the above index of start reading the article below. It is recommended to read the full article and check out all the rescue disk options available because each antivirus bootable rescue disk is unique in its own way.
1. Bitdefender Rescue CD
Bitdefender Rescue CD is a free tool that scans and cleans your computer whenever you suspect a malware threat is affecting its operation. Bitdefender Rescue CD works without loading the operating system and can be set up either on a CD/DVD or on a USB flash drive. You can download, burn and use it directly to recover your system however it is recommended to have an active internet connection too so that Bitdefender Rescue CD can download update from its server directly to remove even the latest virus from the system too.
Download Bitdefender Rescue CD
2. Norton Bootable Recovery Tool
Norton Antivirus rescue disk is called Norton Bootable Recovery tool which is Symantec’s tool for disinfecting unbootable system, clean viruses and repair it. The Norton Bootable Recovery Tool comes as an ISO image that you can use to create bootable rescue media on DVD or USB drive. Using this media, you can start the computer, scan and remove the threats that caused the problem.
Download Norton Bootable Recovery Tool
3. Kaspersky Rescue Disk
Kaspersky Rescue Disk is a free tool for disinfecting computers from malware which does not allow the operating system to start. The tool is compatible to use for every Windows operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/8.1/10, Windows Server 2003/2012. It comes with file manager, registry editor and a web browser. So while the rescue disk is repairing and scanning your system, you can browse internet for very urgent tasks too.
Download Kaspersky Rescue Disk
4. Windows Defender Rescue Disk
If you want to have Windows Defender Rescue Disk, you need to burn Windows Defender Offline which is Microsoft’s troubleshooting tool. The tool will scan and clean up viruses from non-bootable Windows installation and boot it.
There are two different versions of Windows Defender offline available: 32-bit & 64-bit version. So, depending on your operating system (whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit), burn the appropriate Windows defender rescue disk to CD/USB.
5. Avast Rescue Disk
Avast is one of the most popular, simple and smart antivirus. So, if you prefer using it over other antivirus and want to have avast rescue disk then let me tell you that avast doesn’t separately provide bootable rescue disk. You can yourself create any system where Avast antivirus is already installed.
To create Avast rescue disk, open Avast antivirus in malware-free system, navigate to Tools >> Rescue disk. Now, follow the instruction to burn Avast rescue disk in CD or USB.
6. AVG Rescue CD
AVG Rescue CD is text-based tool which even scans archive to remove virus. It can scan the cause of corrupted system till the very depth and remove viruses hidden inside useful software’s code. The rescue CD is available separately for USB and CD/DVD so, I am not providing the direct link. Instead, I have provided link to AVG Rescue CD download page from where you can choose whatever version of rescue disk you want.
7. ESET SysRescue
ESET SysRescue is the antivirus’ bootable rescue disk. It is malware cleaning tool that runs independent of the operating system from a CD, DVD, or a USB. It has direct access to the disk and the file system, and therefore is capable of removing the most persistent threats. Its USB version is just 8.9MB in size while if you plan to burn ESET SysRescue in CD/DVD, the rescue disk ISO image has a size of 325MB. So, choose the one you prefer from the below link:
8. Anvi Rescue Disk
Anvi Rescue Disk was designed to be used when standard antivirus software fail to detect and clean various computer infections, especially boot-sector viruses like ransomware. The Anvi Rescue ISO image, Rescue.iso, can be burned on a CD/DVD or a bootable USB device using your disc burner to launch the infected computer from there to troubleshoot.
9. Avira AntiVir Rescue System
Avira AntiVir Rescue System (formally known as Avira Rescue CD) repairs your damaged system and allows you to rescue your data in very easy way. Just burn the ISO in CD/USB or install Avira AntiVir Rescue System directly like a normal software to your USB and you are ready to recovery your system.
Download Avira AntiVir Rescue System
10. Comodo Rescue Disk
Comodo Rescue Disk (CRD) is a bootable disk image that allows users to run virus scans in a pre-boot environment. It is a powerful virus, spyware and rootkit cleaner which works in both GUI and text mode. CRD can provide a more comprehensive and thorough scan than regular malware cleaning applications because it cleans your system before Windows is loaded.
11. Hiren Boot CD
Hiren Boot CD is one of the more popular Rescue CDs out there and contains a wealth of tools including defrag tools, driver tools, backup tools, antivirus and anti-malware tools, rootkit detection tools, secure data wiping tools, and partitioning tools, among others.
12. FalconFour Ultimate Boot CD
FalconFour Ultimate Boot CD is based on Hiren Boot CD. So, it has all the features of Hiren Boot CD along with lots of addon tools and features to provide system information, tools that recover/repair broken partitions, tools that recover data, as well as file utilities, password recovery tools, network tools, malware removal tools and much more.
Download FalconFour Ultimate Boot CD
13. F-Secure Rescue Disk
F-Secure Rescue Disk is really a very simple bootable antivirus program that can help you recover operating system or just remove all antivirus at the boot time when they are totally inactive. Its interface is simple and all the scan details appear on the screen in very obvious manner. Once F-Secure Rescue Disk has checked for repaired your system, it starts the system and launch recovery options to recover all your data.
14. Quick Heal Emergency Disk
Quick Heal Emergency Disk has bootable rescue disk option in Quick Heal antivirus layout. So, if you are familiar with Quick Heal antivirus, you probably wants to use its rescue disk to recover your unbootable or non-responsive system. Quick Heal emergency disk is available in two different options: 32-bit and 64-bit. You can download them from below links:
15. Dr.Web LiveDisk
Dr.Web LiveDisk is a bootable disk with integrated mobile operating system based on Linus and offers great simple features that facilitate the scanning and processing of the computer. It has the ability to restore the system in a situation where the user is having a problem in starting a computer from a hard disk.
- Download Dr.Web LiveDisk for burning to CD/DVD
- Download Dr.Web LiveDisk for creating a bootable USB drive
16. eScan Rescue Disk
eScan Rescue Disk provides you with a Windows-based clean environment that not only helps you to scan and clean the system but also to fix the Windows error, registry changes, etc. done by virus.
17. Panda Cloud Cleaner Rescue ISO
Panda Cloud Cleaner Rescue ISO is a tool which allows you to scan computers or VMWare images which, due to virus infections, will not start correctly. Download the rescue disk ISO using below link:
Download Panda Cloud Cleaner Rescue ISO
18. Vba32 Rescue
Vba32 Rescue allows user to recover OS operation after malware threat. It is able to cure malware on user’s computer with maximum effect. In addition, the product allows you to copy important files in critical situation.
19. Zillya Live CD
Zillya! LiveCD is a bootable CD or DVD with an anti-virus scanner which can be used on computers with any operating system, regardless of any antivirus installed or not. On the ISO there is an antivirus scanner, a browser for accessing web sites, and a file navigator This download is an ISO bootable disk. You need to burn the downloaded image to disk and boot your computer with the resulting disc.
20. G Data BootMedium
The boot medium is a useful tool for ridding your computer of viruses that have already contaminated it. Use of a boot medium is particularly recommended for computers that had no virus protection prior to installing the G Data software. You can recover unbootable system using G Data BootMedium Rescue Disk.
Download G Data BootMedium Disk
21. VIPRE Rescue CD
The VIPRE Rescue Program is a command-line utility that will scan and clean an infected computer that is so infected that programs cannot be easily run or you are having trouble starting it. Just boot using VIPRE Rescue CD and it will automatically recover operating system and remove all virus & possible threats.
22. Sophos Bootable Antivirus
The Sophos Bootable Anti-Virus (SBAV) tool allows you to scan and cleanup a computer infected with malware without the need to load the infected operating system installed onto the local hard drive of a computer. This is useful if the state of the computer’s normal operating system – when booted – prevents cleanup from by other means, or the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the computer’s hard drive is infected.
Download Sophos Bootable Antivirus
23. Trinity Rescue Kit CD
Trinity Rescue Kit is a free utility to restore and repair your Windows PC or Linux. This is a solution based on a bootable CD to boot your machine. Trinity Rescue Kit can automatically update (virus scanners, changes made, etc..) Allows to find and mount different file systems, supports proxy server, allows you to run an ssh server, etc.. Side recovery, TKR can restore files, even deleted, and deleted or lost partitions without any other tool or specific procedure.
Download Trinity Rescue Kit CD
24. PC Tools Alternate Operating System Scanner
PC Tools’ Alternate Operating System Suite (AOSS) is a software suite for Windows that functions not only as a free bootable antivirus program but also a file recovery and data destruction program. You can even browse your important files to check if they are still available or not.
Download PC Tools Alternate Operating System Scanner
25. SystemRescue CD
SystemRescueCD is a Linux-based package for troubleshooting Linux and Windows systems. The disc contains antivirus, malware removal, and rootkit removal tools as well as tools to help manage or repair partitions, recover your data, back up your data or clone your drives.
How To Create Bootable CD/DVD
If you want to CD or DVD to create a rescue disk, you first need a system which have CD/DVD writer so that you can burn downloaded rescue disk ISO file to the CD. Now, use any third-party CD burning utility which not only allows you to burn ISO image to a disk but also provide you the option to make the disk “bootable”. Some CD Burner software which allow these feature are: PowerISO, CyberLink Power2Go, Nero, etc.
If you don’t have any of these tools and you are unsure about “boot” feature of your own CD burner software then it is recommended to use the free ISO burner which can burn ISO to disk and it supports bootable disk image too.
Install the software, select your ISO and burn into a blank CD. Now, your rescue CD is ready to boot-scan your system.
How To Create Bootable USB
Similar to CD/DVD their are lots of software which allow you to burn ISO to USB and make your USB device bootable. One popular and easy software to use is Rufus. It is a free & small software which allows you to burn any type of ISO and create your USB stick bootable.
To use the software, download and run it. The software will ask you to select USB device & choose ISO, select desired USB device and ISO file and finally click “Start” button, Rufus will automatically burn ISO to your flash drive and make it bootable. When it finishes, your USB stick is ready as rescue disk to recover your unbootable system.
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