Virus Scanning
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Why Virus Scanning
If your computer is running slower than it used to or if you are getting random windows popping up on your screen when you didn't click any icons or links you might just have software running on your computer that you did not install. This type of software is commonly referred to as viruses, spyware, malware or worms. If you are running Microsoft Windows you are very likely to run into this situation.
All computers assembled at Free Geek have Ubuntu GNU/Linux installed at build time. Ubuntu GNU/Linux is very resilient against attempts to install software behind your back which makes the need for virus scanning and reinstalling your system things of the past. If you didn't get your computer from Free Geek or you don't use Linux already, chances are you need to do periodic virus/malware scans.
Selecting a Tool
The method of choice is to use a Linux Live CD so you can scan the disk(s) without any other activity on them. This allows you to scan every byte of every file on the disk to find viruses and other malware that has wormed its way onto your system.
Each Live CD you find on the internet will have different component programs and different interfaces. Feel free to try as many as you can find. Here is a list of programs to look for when comparing different distributions.
Virus Scanners
Partitioning
Recommended Tools
At Free Geek Arkansas we have had success cleaning systems using the Trinity Rescue Kit. It has good documentation and can do far more than just virus scanning.