Antivirus Rescue Disk is one of my must have CD to carry along with me whenever I have any computer servicing job. When a virus infects a computer, it normally makes Windows very unstable, slow and probably even terminate any antivirus or anyspyware software that it finds making it impossible for you to clean the virus from Windows. All I needed to do is to boot up the computer with an antivirus rescue disk, run a full scan and remove any virus that it finds. By doing that, 90% of the virus are normally gone and it should leave me with a Windows that I can boot in and work on restoring the disabled regedit, Windows Task Manager, cmd and etc.
The last time I checked there were about 13 rescue disks, most are free to use and only a few that requires to purchase. There are NO perfect antivirus as different antivirus has different detection rate. I wished I can bring all of the rescue disks with me but maintaining 13 rescue disks and making sure that I always have the latest version and definition is very troublesome and tedious. I tried using MagicISO, EasyBoot and a few more software which I can’t remember to put all the antivirus rescue discs ISO into one single DVD but the software cannot support such feature. So I gave up…
Yesterday I received an email from Davide Costa informing me that he has made a free tool called SARDU that can integrate multiple antivirus rescue disks, a few useful utilities, linux live CDs and also Windows PE. Not only that, the best part is it can be installed in a USB flash drive!
SARDU is short for Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility. It can handle ISO images of bootable antivirus, some collections of utilities, Linux Live CDs and the most popular distributions of Windows PE. It has been categorized into 4 sections, Antivirus, Utility, Linux and PE.
Antivirus
Avira AntiVir Rescue System BitDefender Dr.Web LiveCD F-Secure GDATA Kaspersky ‘Kav Rescue CD’ Panda Safe Cd Utility
Floppy win98SE Gparted NT password Parted Magic System Rescue CD Ultimate Boot CD Linux
Austrumi Damn Small Linux Puppy Linux Slax Windows PE
LiveXP MegalabCD WindowsPE UBCD4WIN VistaPE
The first time you create a universal rescue disks ISO or to your USB flash drive can be time consuming because you need to download around 2.6GB of ISO images if you want to integrate all ISO that is supported by SARDU. After that, the whole process is very simple, thanks to SARDU for being a “smart” program that automatically recognizes the ISO image that you place into the ISO folder.
Here’s a simple guide on how to use Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility to create a bootable USB flash drive containing multiple antivirus rescue disks together with Linux LiveCDs, utilities and Windows PE.
1. Download the latest version of SARDU.
2. Extract SARDU to a new folder and run sardu.exe
3. To download the ISO image, simply click on the name in the program and your default web browser will open with the link to download the latest ISO. Save the file to the ISO folder where sardu.exe is located.
4. When you’ve finished downloading the ISO files, close sardu.exe and reopen sardu.exe. You will notice that SARDU has automatically put a check on the checkbox if the ISO image is found. If the checkbox is grayed out even though you think you’ve downloaded the file, then most likely you’ve downloaded the wrong one. The file has to be in ISO format, not ZIP or EXE.
5. You can either click on the “Crea ISO” button to compile all the ISO images into a single ISO to burn it to a DVD or click the “Crea USB avviabile” button to install it to your USB flash drive.
6. When you have your SARDU USB flash drive or DVD ready, boot it up and you should get a multiboot screen like the image below.
The advantage of installing SARDU on USB is you can do incremental updates so you don’t need to go through all the steps again every time you want to update a single ISO image. If you’re afraid that you will be facing computers with old motherboards that cannot support booting USB, you can always use PLoP.
Although the program’s user interface is in Italian, I’d say that it is still quite easy to use. Anyway, the author of SARDU informed me that he is making a structure to read language.ini for multilanguage support. We can expect an English translation soon…
SARDU is truly a gem! I just did a Google search on SARDU and it’s weird that not even a single blog out there has mentioned about it but I am very glad to be the first to share it with you… I wished I’d have known about SARDU earlier so me and I believe some of you can reduce the usage of CDRs on burning different rescue disks.
[ Visit SARDU's Official Forum Thread ]
sardu has now got an awful toolbar and homepage hijack bundled and launched when you first run it, be very careful if you install this, you may get more than you bargained for.
Thank you , I like it !
I am pleased to inform you that the SARDU 2.0.0 final version has been released.
Changelog:
* New graphics
* Autolanguage (i’m searching language not translated)
* New engine for ISO
* New engine for USB
* Folder ISO at user’s choice
* SARDU’s ISO at user’s choice
* Copy of USB not freeze
* New Tab for report
* Add Direct Download for ISO’s
* Fix problem with puppy checkbox
* Fix Ubuntu
* Fix Kubuntu
* Fix Clonezilla
* Fix F-Secure conflict with others software
* Fix Windows Recovery disks with ISO
* Fix Gdata
* Fix Live Inquisitor
* Added ability to block and exit sardu while sardu working
* Fix bug for thirst direct download
* Update Plop to 5.0.11
* Fix other software of parted magic
* Add Redo Backup Live CD
* Add xPUD Linux
* Add Phoronix Test Suite
Wait for feedback
Davide Costa
I created the USB drive booted with the menu but I when I selected on of the option (e.g. Utilities, Antivirus, Windows PE) and I just got a blank screen. nothing else happened.
What did I do wrong? Please help.
Great idea and fantastic program. Only problem I had was with Avira. Cannot download a file that will check off in Sardu. Can someone direct me to a good url? Thanks
absolutely love this tool thankyou so much.
New release 1.0.7.2
Changelog:
Upgrade syslinux to 3.86
Multiple PE 1.x
Fix Clonezilla
Add Dutch (thanks to Oddy)
Add Spanish (thanks to mlopez)
Add Polish (thanks to SamuraJack)
Add Turkish (thanks to H. Canik)
Change support VBARescue-beta to VBARescue
Fix Gparted
Add link to Forum
Add Link to SARDU on Facebook
Add support to Win XP Recovery disk (Test)
Add support to Win Vista Recovery disk 32/64 bit
Add support to Win 7 Recovery disk 32/64 bit
Add defrag for USB
Added update databases for Avira
Added update databases for BitDefender
Added update databases for F-Secure
Add progress bar
Add Support to kaspersky Rescue Disk 2010
Add Support to Ubuntu/Kubuntu
Add Support to AVG Rescue CD
Add PLoP Boot Manager v5.0
Fix support to Min Dr.Web LiveCD 5.0.x
Fix Partition Wizard
Add SHORT Keys: CTRL+ALT+C for list
Thank you very much for presenting this software. I encountered a problem though: I cannot burn the iso created with SARDU with any software, and I don’t really understand why. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!
Thank you very much for your useful tips.I cannot imagine living without this wonderful forum led by Mr RAYMOND.
Hi,
I am having problem with SARDU. I am trying to create an ISO disk but some of the antivirus utilities do not work after booting from the “SARDU rescue disk”.
Avira stops while loading modules…nothing is happening. Bitdefender comes up with an error message during boot: knoppix filesystem not found. F-secure has kind of similar error message after searching for files on USB drive….???…i am booting from DVD not from USB drive.
Any help on this would be much appreciated. Many thx!
For view if the USB is writed fine, try it with mobalivecd
The problem is partically solved.
On another PC, it works fine from a Pen-drive.
I think that my MB is the cause, maybe some kind of setting, or it is just too old, even though it finds the pen-drive at tries to boot.
I have a little problem.
It works fantastic when I create and burn a DVD, but when I try to create a bootable USB, it does its job untill I boot from USB.
It gives this message:
SYSLINUX 3.82 ………
Could not find kernel image: Linux
Does anbybody have a workaround?
Pendrive has even been low-level formatted, before use.
this is a great tool to have in your IT kit i will definitively burn it on a DVD
@ftballtw: Floppywin98SE –> unzip the file and rename it win98se.ima
MegalabCD is a italian Windows PE
I did figure one more out. Here is how I got this one and then I burned the disk. Really great tool.
“dam small “ Linux
click link to go to page
Click first link under “Current full Mirror List”
on that page click “release candidate”
next page click “Up to higher file directory”
next page click “release candidate again”
In Internet Explorer go to “page” and click “Open FTP in Windows Explorer”
Click : “ds-n” folder
Click: “current” folder
ISO file is there. Right click and copy to your ISO folder
done!
Thank you for another great program, but I am having some trouble getting some of the programs. I got all of the Anti-Virus, All utilities, except the Floppywin98SE. It is an exe file and I put it the ISO folder but it does not recognize. I got all the Linux but not the “Damn small Linux” I got Windows PE but not the Live XP, it has a install program that requires me to load all the files from an install disk of XP, MegalabCD which I cannot understand the language or even find a download link to it. And UBCD4Win or Vista PE which is some file I cannot open using 7 Zip. I would like to add all of them if possible. Any ideas would be appreciated!
New version: 1.0.6.7
from changelog:
1.0.6.7:
Add site sarducd.it
Fix austrumi with USB
Fix menu order
Add German
Add Romanian
Fix gdata only italian
Fix GParted keyb only italian
Fix menu’s file in temp
Fix update kaspersky
Fix translations
Add check updates
@Davi you can send me the list of hour files and folder only from root of your UBCD4win? I’ve tested it only with my version of xp sp3 :(
my mail is sarducd@gmail.com
Have somebody had problems with UBCD4windows? My sardu dvd restarts if i choose this option. But booting from an ubcd4win cd (same iso used on sardu) everything works fine.
Tried twice. This also hapens with virtualbox using iso images.
Wooo… So many things in 1. This is nice. Thanks.
Format the pendrive at fat32
I have a problem here.. sad.. when I tried to make it bootable to my pendrive it pops up saying that I only have FAT and it requires FAT32. What should I do?
UR D MAN TNX A LOT MORE POWER DUDE!!!
Hello Raymond,
Thanks to you, Davide and the companies who are allowing their resources to be used!!!! I hope you don’t mind but I emailed the above HTML link to the developer of GMER, a rootkit detection/removal tool. Don’t know if it is useful or not but……
Thanks again,
Mark
I’ve tried 1.0.6.5 and 1.0.6.6 on 2 systems and can’t see the menu properly on either. It appears to flash off the screen. Anyone else see this or have a solution?
@ Gregg DesElms :
Tssssssss…….think before you post (anything).
I agree 100% with Gee Wiz
It is sad that some people have to give Americans a bad name. Blog entry specifically said the author’s program was Italian. Plus .cc is not an American domain, so why would any think that because something is non-English, it is an insult to Americans? Actually, that comment is an embarrassment to us Americans.
thanks for your info Ray..
I’ll try this tool
thanx man
New release SARDU 1.0.6.6_Multilanguage, added clonezilla’s supporto.
@ rick
The license txt of 7zip are located in the folder isolinux, in the root of the usbs and of the ISOs.
now add the other of mkisofs and syslinux
ehh BitDefender can not have stronger and better ENGINE then Avira, never ever….
Avira’s Heuristic & Generic detection are in top power , and Bitdefender maybe can try but they can never follow after Avira’s ENGINE,
The Bitdefender gives up to easy in detection-rate.
@Rick
Maybe there are tons of great tutorial on how to do multiboot cd/dvd but Sardu is easy, it saves a lot of my time and, above all, it works !!
great raymond.. awesome! i work as computer technician and this is what i need.. thanks a lot!
Cheers for the help Raymond, I had put the .exe in with the ISO files, now Ive done as you advised, all is good.
Thankyou for your patience.
looking forward to use it
thanks ray!
The reason this isn’t all over the net is that it is really nothing more than a utility to create a USB bootable drive utility or a bootable cd/dvd. There are tons of great tutorial on how to do this already with downloadable images ready to go as well.
Having to go out and grab absolutely every program is hardly saving anyone effort. I understand if you don’t need any of the programs in the index that it is nice to to have to download, but to have to grab everything is also hugely inconvenient.
Also should note that 7zip (components of) are distributed without following license for redistribution.
This sort of thing really irritates me, but it’s becoming a global marketplace, so I guess I just have to get used to it…
…and that’s articles written in ENGLISH which then link to utilities and/or sites which are NOT in ENGLISH.
For those for whom English is a second language, such sites and utilities may not be much of a problem.
But for arrogant Americans, who’ve only ever known English, have never had to worry about learning the languages of others (and have expected others to learn English), it’s a HUGE problem.
For many for whom English is a second language, this may seem like just rewards… Americans finally being knocked down a peg. Screw ‘em!
And if that’s the attitude of this site’s owner, then that would truly be a disappointment.
However, the bottom line is that if this sites owner wants to be attractive to the US market, then he is going to have to, like it or not, not INSULT Americans by writing articles in English, and then linking to things which cannot, ultimately, be used by Americans because they’re in some other language.
I realize that the English version if the utility in question is on the horizon, and that’s good. However, until then, I, for one, will not burden my clients with this utility. And my time is to valuable to figure it out.
So I hope that Raymond will make a little post-it note to himself to re-issue this article when the English version of the utility is finally available.
Thanks.
It works very well
It’s fantastic
From prevx forum:
wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1533712&postcount=360
The Eng Menu is badly required
Great article Raymond. Thanks.
A great tool for technicians.
I checked sardu.exe at Jotti’s
The result of all AV (Avira too) is: Found nothing. Sardu.exe is safe.
thanks ray :D
hey, thanks to you raymond as well as Davide Costa for sharing and creating this. you people are simply great….
Raymond,
I really got panic when my Avira Antivir detected Sardu.exe as a trojan. But you’re right, it must be a false positive. Thank you very much for your daily posts which I consider very important and I like them a lot! Thanks for your help.
great work
Anyone can help? I have problem downloading from rapidshare from my location. Thanks in advance.
@robo: Place the downloaded antivirus .iso files into the ISO folder.
@raymond: thanks for the review
@fan: SARDU update for USB Avira, Kaspersky, F-Secure.
@victor: SARDU = virus is a false positive. I’m not a programmer, file delete or filerename of various isos are recognized as virus :( but it’s a false positive.
This job as signet by my real name..
just what ive been looking for.. thanks ray
Not working for me
[IMG]i44.photobucket.com/albums/f48/dockray/sardu.jpg[/IMG]
well, mmn, what have I done wrong.
Ive downloaded the ISO files and put them into the same folder as the .exe, closed the prog, then ran it again, however the boxes concerning the ISO files downloaded, remain uncheched, thats 2 gig of download burnt out for no reason.
Is this a problem only I am having or have others had the same.
Im using Vista Business
thankssssssssss
@fan: You can update the definition from the antivirus rescue disk itself but they cannot be saved. However I noticed that there are some antivirus which you can save the definition files to the folder and it’ll be updated.
@Victor: Ever heard of false positive/detection?
@milmot: Virus can definitely spread to the USB flash drive by adding autorun.inf but it cannot infect the files on it because the antivirus are in linux. Windows virus are not made to mess with linux.
thanks for this useful info Ray…as the saying goes, “its better late than never” (of not knowing earlier)
Thanks for the tip, Raymond.
Actually an antivirus USB key is not a great idea unless you can make it read only. It may get infected very easily otherwise.
Great Info Ray.. Will try it out.. between, are the definitions updated on a regular basis??
Thanks Raymond, best info/tip for the year
Great stuff as always!
Raymond,
My Avira antivir personal antivirus detected Sardu as a trojan. I gave up installing it.
Thanks for the wonderful article.Definitely gonna give it a try!
Thank you Raymond
is it possible to update the antivirus ?
Wow… Thanks for the share dear Raymond.
Its a wonderful information…
awesome!! thanks for the info.
Thanks Ray, I was waiting for something like this. :)
Wow quite interesting Tools… definetly worth having it.,..
Thanks Raymond.
Thanks for sharing it !
Happy National Day to all Malaysian !
Thanks for sharing these great things ray.
This is a utility to have it with us on the road of pc fixing. Thanks for this info.
cybercm, I’ve posted the results for the BitDefender draw yesterday at the original article.
raymond.cc/blog/archives/2009/08/27/100-bitdefender-internet-security-2010-genuine-license-key-giveaway-to-subscribers/
Thanks again for a helful post, really i need this kind of software . Keep up ur good work
thnks Ray, this is what i am waiting
Where are Results for 100 BitDefender Internet Security 2010 Genuine License Keys? I don’t see them anywhere. :) :) :)
Thanks For sharing Raymond.