“What follows is a brief tutorial on how to do that with Ubuntu,
one of the more popular bootable Linux installations.“Also known as “Live CDs,” these are generally free, Linux-based
operating systems that one can download and burn to a CD-Rom or
DVD. The beauty of Live CDs is that they can be used to turn a
Windows based PC into a provisional Linux computer, as Live CDs
allow the user to boot into a Linux operating system without
installing anything to the hard drive. Programs on a LiveCD are
loaded into system memory, and any changes – such as browsing
history or other activity — are completely wiped away after the
machine is shut down. To return to Windows, simply remove the CD
from the drive and reboot.“More importantly, malware that is built to steal data from
Windows-based systems simply won’t load or work when the user is
booting from LiveCD. Even if the Windows installation on the
underlying hard drive is completely corrupted with a
keystroke-logging virus or Trojan, the malware can’t capture the
victim’s banking credentials if that user only transmits his user
name and password after booting up into one of these Live CDs.”