The only thing worse than ‘contracting’ a spyware infection is getting rid of it. Some of the more insidious ‘packages’ claw their way into the deepest bowels of your system and can take hours for even an expert to remove.

A ’secret weapon’ does exist. The spyware and virii can’t actively fight if they aren’t running. How do you keep them from running when they load as the system starts?

You use a utility boot CD! Now, this isn’t a recovery CD. It’s a self contained Windows installation that boots off the CD and allows you to run diagnostics and utility software, browse the web, recover data, and perform other basic tasks. If your Windows installation is trashed and you just need to get in to get your data, this is the answer to your prayers. Yet it’s also invaluable in the battle against malware.

Several boot CDs exist, my favorite is the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. In most cases, you’ll need a Windows XP CD to create the boot-CD. For Dell machines, the XP CD that is included will work as well. You won’t need a license key and it’s all entirely legal so long as the computer you’re working on has a valid Windows license.

Incidentally, if your system didn’t include a recovery disc set, the disc images should be on your hard drive. Burn the recovery CD/DVD set NOW! You will see a utility to do so off the Start Menu and your system may even nag you about this. If the hard drive crashes, the recovery images die with it.)

UBCD for Windows