Is it safe to install an infected drive into a working machine to clean it?

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I use Avira Antivirus. It's totally free and has the option of running a virus check before windows is loaded thus giving it the ability of removing files containing viruses that would be locked and protected from deletion when windows is running. I've cleaned a few stubborn viruses and trojans that way and is a good alternative in many cases to putting a bad disk into a good computer. If this doesn't work try booting from a live Bart PE and running an AV from that. That is probably just as effective and much safer than putting a bad disk into a good computer. If you don't know how to create and run a PE disk than you really should think twice about putting an infected disk into your machine.

In a case like the one described above there is more simple solution (imho) - special live cd. Many antivirus vendors have such live cd's. Look for example at DrWeb Live CD - http://www.freedrweb.com/livecd?lng=en

I keep an old XP machine around for just such an occurance. It has all the programs and install files I use. Thus, if that 5% becomes more than a statistic, who cares!

Hears my take on this. my engine in my van had a knocking noise in it. then i discovered I am really low on oil. i put oil in and it stills knocks. the damage is already done. like an operating system the registry files are corrupted and can't be repaired. first thing is reformat and partition your drive. this way xp will see it as two drives and you can reformat and not loose all your programs. first and foremost buy a good anti virus and a firewall. if you can spend good money on a computer then protect it. I use sunbelt software vipre and their firewall. I have never had a problem because it stops all the bad guys at the door. it the best i have found and it is not a resource hog either.now the last thing buy a second drive and backup all your important files. by the time you fool around switching drives you can do it the right way format and start new.

I'm doing the same all the time, just make sure your anti virus/spyware are updated and dont load windows normally... attach the infected HD and load the windows in "SAFE MODE". Windows will recognize the new HD, just start your Antivirus and do full scan for it.
I think this will make it 99.9% safe to do this as I've never seen a virus that can start it's job in SAFE MODE.

I don't get the comment by Leo "an alternative is to get a USB interface or external hard drive enclosure (specifically for this size of hard drive, and then perform the repair work with it installed as an external drive.)" I understand this to mean you just use an external drive to hook up to the USB port of the infected computer or take the infected drive and put IT into a usb drive enclosure?
Also I cannot subscribe to this topic with an RSS Feed-I get an error message. Frank C.

What's the difference between installing the infective drive as a slave and either hooking up a good drive by USB or hooking up the infected drive by USB?

What is a live Bart PE?
Frank C.

If you handle this problem by using an old XP computer and this supposedly good, old XP computer runs into this 5% liability what are you going to do, have a stack of good, old XP computers to take its place?

Fahad's comment about starting the good computer in safe mode with the attached infected drive hooked up by USB seems the best primary way to go.
But I'm a single user, at best probably involved with a computer problem with my family every 2 years. I'd have to keep a computer around for an event that might never come up. Frank C.

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