How to Run Antivirus From a Flash Drive

Running an antivirus software program directly from your flash drive allows you to take the software virtually anywhere and clean any infected computer. Because many USB flash drives can hold upwards of two gigabytes, this provides sufficient space to hold antivirus programs that often require no more than between 10 and 80 megabytes of free space.

Things You'll Need

• Antivirus software
• USB flash drive

Instructions

1. Navigate to a computer software Website that offers free software and downloads, such as PC World, Softpedia, CNET Download or PC Magazine (see Resources). Go to the "download" section of the site. Select the "antivirus" category or type "portable antivirus" or "antivirus" in the site's search box. Review the descriptions of the antivirus software listed. Look for an antivirus software that describes itself as "portable" or "lightweight." For example, ClamWin Portable by PortableApps.com requires only about 10 megabytes of free space on a USB flash drive. Other antivirus software small enough for a flash drive includes Avast Free Antivirus, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

2. Click the "download" link on the free antivirus software you choose. Save the "exe" installation file to your computer's hard drive.

3. Insert a flash drive into an available USB port on your computer. Double-click the "exe" installation file of the antivirus software. Click "Next" on the "Installation Wizard" screen. Click the "Agree" button to agree to the license agreement terms. In the "destination folder" section, click "Browse." Click on the drive letter of your USB flash drive and click "OK." Click "Next" to install the antivirus software on your flash drive. Wait for the installation process to finish.

4. Insert your USB flash drive into any computer on which you want to run the antivirus software. Open the "My Computer" or "Computer" window. Locate the "Devices with removable storage" section and double-click the letter of your USB flash drive to open it.

5. Double-click the name of the folder on your flash drive that contains the antivirus software. Look for its "Application" file icon. You can identify the appropriate icon by looking for the word "Application" in the "Type" column.

6. Double-click the software's "Application" icon to launch it. Select the primary "C:" drive of the computer, if necessary. Click the "Scan" or "Start" button to run the antivirus. Wait for the software to finish scanning the system. Review the results of the scan; most antivirus programs list and select the problem areas and virus infections automatically. Leave the default, checked problems and click the "remove" or "delete" button to remove viruses from the system. Close the antivirus software.

7. Click the "Safely remove hardware" icon in the Taskbar next to the system clock. Click the "Eject" option next to the name of your flash drive. Wait for the message to appear telling you that it is safe to remove the hardware. Remove the USB flash drive from the computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Some antivirus programs, such as SUPERAntiSpyware and Trend Micro's HouseCall, are self-contained, compact application files that require no installation. For these types of programs, you simply save the program's "exe" application file to your flash drive and launch it on any computer that needs to be scanned.

References

• The PC Security: Portable Antivirus – Ultimate List of Best USB Anti Virus

Resources

• Softpedia: Antivirus and Antispyware
• PC World: Downloads - Antivirus
• CNET Download.com: Portable Antivirus
• PortableApps.com: ClamWin Portable
• SUPERAntiSpyware: SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner