[BC] Another computer problem

[Craig Healy]

> A friend game me an 6 year old "Compaq Presario" desktop computer
> with the proviso that I rescue his photographs from it...
 (snip)
> I had a great problem recovering the files because the computer
> had been overrun by spyware...

I have had very good luck with a Knoppix boot CD.  I cannot be infected by
any viruses or spyware as it's a CD.  It also can read damaged hard drives
that Windows cannot.  It pops up a window that says the drive is damaged,
but it usually will still read it.

Knoppix is freeware and the ISO file can be easily downloaded.  Burn to a CD
and you're set.

All I've done is use a 16gb USB flash drive.  At boot it is set to
read-only, but a simple click allows it to be written.

I recovered all but three files out of approximately 20,000 on one damaged
hard drive.  And, recovered all desired files off a drive that was seriously
infected by viruses, trojans, bots and spyware.  All I had to do later was
plug the flash drive into a computer with a robust anti-virus program and it
cleaned right up.  Worked fine.

The Knoppix boot disk also works quite well for evaluation of computer
hardware.

Craig Healy
Providence, RI