Clients virus ridden pc

I shouldn't say client but I feel it gets the point across better.

He should be a client but because I know his situation I'm doing the work free. He said he doesn't "need" anything backed up but if I could it'd be cool. Obviously I want to at least give it a good attempt at getting data off.

Problem. The machine is so FUBAR'd it freezes almost as soon as it starts up and shows a million errors/infection warnings. I see Limewire on the desktop which = I'm not willing to plug the drive into a personal rig to rip data off because I don't know what kind of STD's this whore has.

The obvious choice would be to use a PI disk of any sort... Ubuntu's nice. Problem is, how do I back up data when I need the live disk to stay in the only cd drive?

I'm not plugging my externals into the computer because I don't want to compromise my own disks and I don't have thumb drives big enough to make transfers worth it.

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Originally Posted by BuzzKillington

The obvious choice would be to use a PI disk of any sort... Ubuntu's nice. Problem is, how do I back up data when I need the live disk to stay in the only cd drive?

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USB thumbdrive?

I'd plug the HDD into a good computer and just not boot off of the ad one or open any files that are in it.

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Originally Posted by xmastree

USB thumbdrive?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by BuzzKillington

I don't have thumb drives big enough to make transfers worth it.

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Originally Posted by nevermind1534

I'd plug the HDD into a good computer and just not boot off of the ad one or open any files that are in it.

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Aren't there viruses out there that can leech onto other drives even without running the files they're injected in?

I know viruses by their self are "safe" until you execute them but can't they be set up to run with other programs at startup, regardless if you boot from that drive?

WHat about a site that offers free storage like carbonite? or maybe sign up with one of those free hosting company's and just ftp the files to the server and then dl them when the computer is clean?

why not just hook up a second disc drive? Use one to boot Ubuntu from, and the other to burn the data to disc.

Do you have a spare CD burner or another CD drive if the drive he has is a burner and hook up the extra as the primary CD to run a live CD then burn to CDRW?

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Originally Posted by Oneslowz28

WHat about a site that offers free storage like carbonite? or maybe sign up with one of those free hosting company's and just ftp the files to the server and then dl them when the computer is clean?

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Good idea there. If you want a free host.. check out 000webhost.com Free hosting domain.. the whole thing. I use them.

I don't. I sold/gave away 99% of my parts bin. I had a spare external I forgot about and used it. it's half way through its second swipe. I'm going to walmart tonight for a can of air to blow the case out. It being a dell I doubt there's much room for wire management. Last dell I opened most of the cables barely reached.

EDIT: Almost forgot, online hosting would have been out of the question because of the 6600 music files.