Virus scanning XP across network w/ Clam?
 

Maybe everybody knows how to do it or nobody's tried, but I'm the average computer guy that has to fix friends' and family's computers. Lately it's been getting crappy trying to fix the M$ machines (I use Fedora Core 4, but XP for games :( ). Basically...I have a machine to fix that has a virus (or more) on it (aside from worse problems already fixed[what do these people DO with their rigs???]). Norton can't fix it (a trojan is all it tells me).

My question is: How do people in the know remove virii? Stopping short of wiping and re-installing (which is what it deserves...).

I've tried a Clamscan across the network to the XP machine on an SMB mount, but it doesn't read most files (I can fire up Knoppix and DELETE them, but can't remove a virus?).

Is there a virus-scanner I can burn to a boot-CD and run that understands NTFS (usually the boot Cd images are W98 and don't understand NTFS)?

Ideally, someone should invent a CD or USB image that you can update on HD, then burn (or copy to USB key), insert, boot, and do a killer virus scan without ever touching windows or *nix.

I'd appreciate any tips or inside secrets. Sorry for the ignorance....I guess I've been out of the M$ world for a few minutes to long.

Thank you,
Exo

I don't trust the detection quality of ClamAV yet,
so I check drives in another M$ pc which is running Kaspersky.
(At a client's site via a firewire IDE box)

If XP is being run from the infected drive, you can be sure the virus is in charge..

peter_robb:
So you physically remove the drive and test it in another machine that you know to be good or jam the drive into a firewire connection (presumably a laptop...). Hooking the drive up to a MS machine puts the machine at risk doesn't it? Or do you trust Kaspersky that much?

Thanks for the reply,
Exo