Looking for a powerful antivirus to scan an external HDD

[Archimede]

Can someone kindly recommend a good antivirus (possibly portable) to scan a 2 TB external HDD?

 

I noticed that my external USB storage unit contains some malware but I cannot wipe it because it contains valuable data.

 

My plan is to run the antivirus on an empty laptop (Win7 or Win10), update the online virus definitions, connect the external HDD to the laptop to scan it and (hopefully) get rid of the malware.

 

Thanks in advance for your valuable support

[MrZeb]

ESET online Scanner http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

[Archimede]

14 hours ago, MrZeb said:

ESET online Scanner http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

Many thanks for the appreciated suggestion MrZeb. 

 

I am a little hesitant to keep the laptop online for a couple of days (I expect it will take that long to scan 2 tb) fearing that some malware might exploit the active internet connection. 

 

I would rather prefer an offline scan, after updating the virus signatures (while the external HDD is still disconnected from the laptop). 

 

Thanks once again, friend 😊 

[bigbrother]

Here's a list of current FREE "offline" scanners

https://www.lifewire.com/free-bootable-antivirus-tools-2625785

 

TBH, you could easily start with this:

 

 

 

Edited February 5 by bigbrother
Added link

[neofita]

sir I would trust Malwarebytes 100%, even though it is not portable.

[MrZeb]

13 hours ago, Archimede said:

Many thanks for the appreciated suggestion MrZeb. 

 

I am a little hesitant to keep the laptop online for a couple of days (I expect it will take that long to scan 2 tb) fearing that some malware might exploit the active internet connection. 

 

I would rather prefer an offline scan, after updating the virus signatures (while the external HDD is still disconnected from the laptop). 

 

Thanks once again, friend 😊 

 

If you are using a clean machine I don't see how it would be infected if not directly exposed to the Internet.

 

Yes the scan of 2TB will take a long time, ESET by default will scan also inside archives!

 

An off-line option is Emsisoft Emergency Kit https://www.emsisoft.com/en/home/emergency-kit/ ESET detects more stuff...

[Lisa Duerner]

Google for "Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool" works offline.

[Archimede]

11 hours ago, bigbrother said:

Here's a list of current FREE "offline" scanners

https://www.lifewire.com/free-bootable-antivirus-tools-2625785

 

TBH, you could easily start with this:

12 hours ago, bigbrother said:

Here's a list of current FREE "offline" scanners

https://www.lifewire.com/free-bootable-antivirus-tools-2625785

 

TBH, you could easily start with this:

 

 

 

Thanks bigbrother, the Lifewire list seems to be rather exhaustive, during the weekend I will test a couple of the options and hopefully solve the problem.

 

Following yours and neofita's suggestion (thanks to you both) I will test Malwarebytes too.

 

I will first scan a small USB flash drive (only 16 GB) to test all features and to get acquainted with the various recommended software and ultimately select the one to do the heavy lifting (scanning the 2 TB drive).

 

 

[Archimede]

1 hour ago, MrZeb said:

 

If you are using a clean machine I don't see how it would be infected if not directly exposed to the Internet.

I have no idea what type of malware might be on that external storage disk, I just feel uneasy being online for a couple of days and then, God forbid find even more (or different) viruses on the external HDD.

[Archimede]

1 hour ago, MrZeb said:

An off-line option is Emsisoft Emergency Kit

I tested it last night (only in detecting mode, no cleaning)... It did a decent job but it mostly detected false positives... GUI is not necessarily flexible and lacks config options. Report was good and detailed. I would give it a 5+ out of 10

1 hour ago, Lisa Duerner said:

Google for "Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool" works offline.

Thanks dear, I used KVRT in the past and wasn't impressed

[Archimede]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your kind support.

 

I look forward to resolving the issue and to posting here my feedback so that others might benefit from my testing

[MrZeb]

2 hours ago, Archimede said:

I have no idea what type of malware might be on that external storage disk

 

A properly configured system will not automatically execute files on the external drive, simply run the scan of the drive using the Antivirus software.

[lurch234]

Trojan Remover. You have a 30 day trial. Type the name in the search box and you'll also get a trial reset for it in this forum.

[Archimede]

On 2/5/2026 at 10:41 PM, Lisa Duerner said:

Google for "Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool" works offline.

@Lisa Duerner Despite I was initially against KVRT, this was the tool that ultimately did the job, thanks Lisa (danke danke!)

 

I tested a few utilities among which Spybot Search and Destroy, Dr.Web LiveDisk, etc but I did not find them particularly helpful as they mostly detected false positives and PUPs.

 

BTW, the Lifewire list 'Free Bootable Antivirus Scanners in 2026' (very surprisingly) does not seem to be entirely reliable/updated... I had great expectations for ESET SysRescue Live, however it turned out to be inactive (possibly discontinued by ESET)... I found a download link on a 3rd party page and tested it, It's free unless one wants to update the virus definitions, that function seems to require a paid subscription.

 

Big software brands detected mostly false positives and PUPs... KVRT on the other hand did identify the viruses and neutralized them rather quickly. I run a quick scan in safe mode and I cannot recommend that enough to anyone who wants to get rid of malware.

 

Once again many thanks to all the nsane friends who participated in this tread