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I have a laptop HDD that contains one or more viruses. I want to remove it and connect it via a SATA-to-USB connector to my desktop computer, right-click the drive, then click "scan for viruses". Is this safe?

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  • Since we don't know which operating system you use, you have to got with this general advice Disable autostart before connecting (Thats not needed on Win7)
    – nixda
    Dec 30, 2012 at 15:37
  • The desktop uses Win7, the laptop WinXp, so it looks like im good Dec 30, 2012 at 15:39
  • Wait a minute. I thought there was a windows patch for Win7 some time ago which disabled autostart in general. But I can't find a proper source in the short time to prove this.
    – nixda
    Dec 30, 2012 at 15:43
  • Got it: I don't know if your system is up to date so please check this article. In doubt you can use "the Microsoft Fix it 50471" which is linked there.
    – nixda
    Dec 30, 2012 at 15:50
  • thanks. even without the fix, however, the system would always prompt me for an action when connecting an external hdd Dec 30, 2012 at 16:01

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the safest way to solve your problem is just to boot up from usb flash that is designed to cure viruses and actually cure them all. look at Dr.Web® LiveUSB, Kaspersky Rescue Disk and any other antivirus that has free live usb image disk for download. using this approach you don't even have to get your hdd out of notebook.

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  • thanks. whats the best free program of this kind that i can burn onto a cd? Dec 30, 2012 at 20:56
  • nevermind i just found it avira.com/en/download/product/avira-antivir-rescue-system avira one of the highest (if not the highest) detection rates in the industry (but unfortunatley also quite a high rate of false positives) Dec 30, 2012 at 21:10
  • every antivirus nowadays cures almost all the same viruses as any other one. the reasons to choose one instead of another are relativity of developer to your geographical area (they will find new viruses that you could get infected with supposedly a bit faster than others), speed, compatibility.
    – boo
    Dec 30, 2012 at 22:39

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