Microsoft Says Recovery From Malware Becoming Impossible

An anonymous reader wrote to mention an eWeek Story about Microsoft's assertion that PCs may no longer be able to recover from the most aggressive Malware. From the article: "[Danseglio] cited a recent instance where an unnamed branch of the U.S. government struggled with malware infestations on more than 2,000 client machines. 'In that case, it was so severe that trying to recover was meaningless. They did not have an automated process to wipe and rebuild the systems, so it became a burden. They had to design a process real fast,'."

Comments

Recovery Is Possible

[drewbradford]

I provide residential desktop computer support for a living, which includes a lot of malware removal. I find that it's virtually always possible to recover all data, programs, etc., and get the user back to exactly where they want to be.

I use tools including ClamAV/AVG/Norton, Ad-Aware, Spybot, and a couple custom scripts that can remove the malware. Windows repair installations help restore any files that become corrupt.

My entire process, from start to finish, including checking for bad hardware, backing up data, and actually repairing the system, does take 6-12 hours, but the economy of scales works in our favor.

Shameless plug: If you need computer support in the Chicago area, my company ( www.geeks42.com / www.geeksone.com ) can help! Drop your computer off at any UPS store and have it repaired promptly and professionally.