
And there are lots of other ways to customize. Custom scans allow you to run in-depth scans of the whole computer or certain areas of the drive. Smart scans enable you to limit your scan to areas of the system most likely to house malware. There are two main types of scans available. It can be installed on a CD, USB key, or DVD and offers an easy-to-navigate GUI (there’s no text-only option as is the case with some other tools).ĮSET provides you with a desktop environment similar to what most Windows users will be used to. ESET SysRescue LiveĮSET SysRescue Live is a great pick if you’re looking for a customizable solution.

Here’s our list of the best free bootable antivirus tools.

In case you don’t have time to read the full list, we’ve included a brief description of each below. Here, we reveal the top options available. Indeed, there are a ton of free solutions out there. Thankfully, these tools won’t break the bank. Note that you may need to change your system’s boot order in the BIOS, which we discuss further at the end of this post.


Then you insert the removable device into the corrupted computer and the rescue tool program should be able to start up, allowing you to run a scan. If your system won’t boot at all, you’ll need to use another device to do this. In general, to use one of these tools, you first need to download a file from the provider’s website and copy it onto a removable device (usually a CD or USB stick) using a third-party program. It can run on a system that has been heavily corrupted to the point that it no longer functions. What if the damage is severe enough that you can’t power up or log in to your device, as is the case with some particularly nasty viruses? That’s where a bootable antivirus tool comes in. While traditional antivirus software is sufficient for scanning your computer in most cases, it does rely on you having a functioning system. Bootable antivirus tools can be useful in some of the most serious situations.
