Creating a bootable BitDefender Rescue USB drive

This tutorial is for creating a bootable USB Flash Drive containing BitDefender Rescue for use on a computer that will not boot up to Windows due to damage caused by virus, trojans, worms or rootkits.
It was compiled in association with EvilFantasy, a qualified Malware Removal expert and fellow volunteer at Help2Go.

Important! 

The loading process might take some time with a number of long pauses. Don’t think that it has stalled or isn’t working as it should. You just need to give it some time to finish.
Make sure your USB drive is already plugged in so that it is detected and selected automatically.
Read this tutorial carefully before beginning.

If you don’t know what you are doing or have any questions, stop and ask someone who does know! You can do damage to your  computer if the instructions are not followed correctly. I take no responsibility if the computer ends up damaged from using this tutorial, though it has been thoroughly tested, so be warned! 

Creating the BitDefender Rescue USB drive

Download the BitDefender Rescue CD to your desktop.
Choose the download titled BitDefenderRescueCD_xx.x.x_xx_xx_xxxx.iso, which is the first .iso link.

Download the Windows version of the UNetbootin – Universal Netboot Installer to your desktop, then double click the file to open it.

You’ll see the following screen. Select the options as shown.

Important! Check that the correct drive letter is selected for your USB Drive. If not, you may overwrite important data!

Click on OK to load the next screen. This shows each stage of the creation process. There will be some long pauses as the large files are extracted and copied, so be patient.

Once completed, you’ll see the following screen…

Do not click on the Reboot Now button! Simply click on the Exit button and remove the USB drive. The BitDefender Rescue USB drive is now ready for use.

Using the BitDefender Rescue USB drive

To use the bootable USB drive, simply plug into a USB port on the infected computer, and and then start the computer. During the boot process, choose USB or Removable Drive as the first boot option from system BIOS, or use the F8, F12 or ESC key during the boot process for the BIOS screen to choose the boot options. The choice of  F8, F12 or ESC key will depend on the make and model of the computer. Look at the screen when the startup first begins to determine what option you need to choose. Tapping the key during startup will activate the boot options.

If the above method does not work to boot the USB then see here. Common USB BIOS boot options. Beware!! Changing settings in the computer BIOS should only be attempted by skilled users. If you are unsure of what to do then ask someone who is.

You should not have to change any of the options during the boot process. Just let everything load and the scan will begin. On the very first menu, do not select  Console Mode  unless you are an advanced Linux user.

When the scan is complete, let BitDefender remove or quarantine anything found and then exit the BitDefender scanner.

Right click an empty space on the desktop and choose Exit from the menu. You will see Linux go through an unloading process. At the end, it will tell you to remove the CD from the CD/DVD drive but, using this method, you will remove the USB Drive instead. Next press the Enter/Return key on your keyboard to Exit and turn off the computer.

Restart the computer normally.

Note: If the booting from USB option isn’t available on your computer, you’ll need to boot from the CD/DVD drive using a CD burned from the BitDefender Rescue Disk.iso file that you downloaded originally.

You can also run a rootkit scan by double clicking the ChkRootKit icon from within the Linux/BitDefender desktop. Rootkits can be hard to remove so if a rootkit is found, try asking for help in removing it by visiting one of the computer help forums shown below.

Help2Go 

Computer-Juice

Computer Hope

Glitch PC

MajorGeeks

Ultimate Geek TaskForce

Please note

I am not qualified to advise you on removing any malware or visuses you may find,
so please don't ask. Instead, try posting your problem at one of the above forums.

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Adding Windows 7 computer to an existing XP/Vista network

One of the many new innovations included in Windows 7 is a much improved system of home networking called HomeGroup. As well as offering easier and more diverse allocation of permissions to shared content, access is protected by a password which, for small business networks, is a necessity.

As soon as Windows 7 is installed, it creates a default HomeGroup. If it detects an existing HomeGroup, you will be given the opportunity to join, but you will need the password. For home and small business users, HomeGroup is an excellent tool, but there is a problem.

HomeGroup only works when all other machines on the network have Windows 7 installed, which in the short term, may not be the case. There will be many situations where the network has XP or Vista machines as part of the network, in addition to Windows 7. So, how is it possible to get them all to work together?

Actually, it's not that difficult. The trick is to avoid the HomeGroup option which, by default, users are led into when trying to add a Windows 7 machine to an existing network, and do the following instead. These instructions assume that all machines are connected to a common hub/router, either cabled or wirelessly, and that all necessary permissions exist. If you are adding the Windows 7 machine to an existing network, that should already be the case. As this is aimed at home users, only the Workgroup option will be addressed.

First thing to do is note the name of the existing Workgroup, together with the password, if applicable. For this example, we'll use MSHOME, which is the Windows default. If yours is different, change as necessary.

On the Windows 7 machine, click on Start and right click Computer, then Properties. That will open the following window.

At the bottom of the window you'll see Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings. Click on Change Settings. This window will open.

Under the Computer Name tab, click the Change button. In the next window, select Workgroup and enter the name you copied earlier. Click on OK and you'll be prompted to restart.

You should now see your XP/Vista machines shown on the network, and shared files/folders will be accessible, but you may need the network password if one has been allocated. The Windows 7 machine will appear on the rest of the network, but when you try to access any shared files/folders, you'll probably be asked for a password. That's because, by default, Windows 7 requires you to enter one.

To turn that option off, open Network and Sharing Center and, in the left column, click on Change Advanced Sharing Settings. That will open the following window.

Scroll down to Password Protected Sharing, select Turn off Password Protected Sharing, then Save changes at the bottom of the window. You can change other settings in that same window, such as Printer Sharing, etc.

One final word, don't forget to set the sharing options on the Windows 7 machine.

Words and images, copyright arraknid 2009

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