16 viruses ...

Dr.Web CureIt has proven absolutely essential for me time and time again. If an infection has rendered the system non bootable they also provide a LiveCD free on their website (90mb download).

Coupled with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and A-Squared free, gives you a good shot at curing/cleaning your system(s).

 

funny that people still think that an infected system like this can be cleaned.
you all have to be high intelligent pros with built-in decompiler or mentalists.
well - if you think cleaning is enough instead improving...

 

So Brummelchen, if I'm right here, you consider an infected drive would be best disposed of by users with limited expertise? Part of me says you are dead right. Either a cleaned drive is clean or it's not. If there's a gray area it makes no sense not to replace the drive with factory new. I'm a heavy computer user, not a technician, but I'd like to develop skills enough to manage day to day maintenance without resorting to professionals, whose patience can wear thin when quizzed too much. The techs in town are not overeager to share their knowledge & besides, being in Thailand there's the language problem therefore I must improve my skills or remain ignorant.

What goes on at a bit/byte level burned into the surface of an HDD cleaned with free or inexpensive programs I have no clue about, but I'd like to know.