Immunize Computers against infected USB drives!

Immunize Computers against infected USB drives and Vice versa.

My laptop (Dell-Windows XP) has just been declared clean thanks to one of the BP consultants here.

Part of avoiding re-infection in the future, I would like to ask one vital question. It was mentioned to me about Panda USB Vaccine and BitDefender’s USB Immunizer. Now that my dear computer is clean, can I now install one of these two and immunize my laptop in case one of my USB drives is (will be) infected. Once I do that and plug my USB drive, I would like to check that this drive is as clean as my laptop. Besides Trendmicro, malwarebytes, superantispyware that I have already installed on the computer, are there any other software I should run on the external drives. As I have never used Panda USB Vaccine or BitDefender’s USB Immunizer, do these two also allow immunizing USB drives to avoid them being infected by any viruses that could hit the computer in the future? Any body has experience with these two protection tools. If so, do they change files in the PC or they don't?

Thank you so much for your help.

USB Scanning Tools:

• ClamWin Portable Antivirus
• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. For usb flash drives and/or other removable drives, perform a Full scan. The option for a Flash Scan will analyze memory and autorun objects but that option is only available to licensed users in the paid version.
• Norman Malware Cleaner. For usb flash drives and/or other removable drives to scan, use the Add button to browse to the drives location, click on the drive to highlight and choose Ok.
• Dr.Web CureIt. Choose Custom Scan after the Express Scan has finished to add your usb or external drive to the scan.
• McAfee Avert Stinger Tool.

Tip: As an extra precaution, hold down the Shift key when inserting the drive until Windows detects it to keep autorun.inf from executing if it is present. Then perform your scans.

USB Protection Tools:

• USBVirusScan
• Autorun Eater
• Autorun Protector
• Autorun USB Virus Finder
• Ariad (AutoRun.Inf Access Denied)
• USB Protector
• Antirun
• Autorun Deleter
• USB Flash Drives Control
• USB Defender, USB Format, USB Pen, USB Disk, USB Key
• Flash_Disinfector for XP
• Panda USB Vaccine.
• Computer Vaccination will prevent any AutoRun file from running, regardless of whether the removable device is infected or not.
• USB Vaccination disables the autorun file so it cannot be read, modified or replaced and creates an Autonrun.inf as protection against malicious code. The Panda Resarch Blog advises that once USB drives have been vaccinated, they cannot be reversed except with a format. If you do this, be sure to back up your data files first or they will be lost during the formatting process.

Wow...Thank you very much Quitman7 for these wonderful tools and tips

For the last two bullet points: computer AND USB vaccinations- are they valid only for Panda USB Vaccine or are they applicable to all USB protection tools you provided.


Also, do Autorun files exist in USB drives only or do we find them in computers as well. If so, are these files (autorun) also affected when we vaccinate computers.

I am willing to vaccinate the computer if no file is affected but for the USB drives, I am a lillte nervous when I read that the "USB vaccination disables the autorun file so it cannot be read, modified or replaced and creates an Autonrun.inf etc.."

Thank you again,

KK

For the last two bullet points: computer AND USB vaccinations- are they valid only for Panda USB Vaccine

Yes

I am a lillte nervous when I read that the "USB vaccination disables the autorun file so it cannot be read, modified or replaced and creates an Autonrun.inf etc

That is how it provides protection.

Autorun.inf is a text-based configuration file that provides instructions for the autorun feature and contains instructions for the operating system. Essentially it is a loading point that tells the operating system which executable to start, which icon to use, and which additional menu commands to make available. When a computer detects a removable device, it searches for the autorun.inf file for further instructions and writes the values in the MountPoint2 registry key. This registry key holds cached information on every device ever connected to the computer. For flash drives and other USB storage, autorun.ini uses the Windows Explorer's right-click context menu so that the standard "Open" or "Explore" command starts the file. The autorun.ini file can be used for both legitimate or malicious purposes. Since autorun.ini can be a legitimate file which other legitimate programs depend on, the presence of that file may not always be an indication of infection. Usually when it is bad, there will be other signs or symptoms of infection to include other malicious files.