What is F-Secure Rescue CD?
We noticed that lately our posts about Rescue CD have been quite technical and focusing on details. So, here’s a brief overview for the people who aren’t that familiar with the tool yet.
What is Rescue CD?
Rescue CD is a free tool you can use to fix a computer that no longer starts because the operating system has been corrupted by malware. For more advanced users, Rescue CD enables other kinds of repair and data recovery operations as well.
When should I use it?
There are two main situations when you should use the Rescue CD:
- The computer no longer starts, as the operating system has been corrupted by malware. In this case you can use the Rescue CD to scan the computer and quarantine the malware. This may allow the operating system to start properly again.
- If you suspect that your security software has been compromised by malware. You can use the Rescue CD to check this, as it is independent of the operating system.
How does it work?
Rescue CD contains a Knoppix (a kind of Linux) operating system which allows using your Windows PC and getting access to the hard disks.
How do I use it?
Rescue CD is included on our Internet Security CD. If you don’t have it, or need to have the newest version, you can download it from here in the blog or on the F-Secure website, and burn it on a CD yourself.
Also, prepare to provide our latest malware definition databases to the tool. This is done either by simply having a network connection or using a USB stick. Instructions for the latter option can be found here (under Using USB stick to store malware definitions).
After getting rescued, remember to make sure that you have an up-to-date security solution to keep you from trouble in the future.
For more information and basic instructions for using the Rescue CD, please check the Rescue CD User’s Guide. And if you still have questions, comments or problems regarding the tool, drop us a line! Ideas and feature requests are also welcome.
