Can I get a virus by plugging in an external hard drive?

“Kind of surprised what we found when we plugged them in … Out of the box it contained some malware.” It can happen to anyone. These hard drives, which can be bought online or in stores, automatically download the malware the first time you use them, putting your data at risk.

How do you tell if an external hard drive has a virus?

Right-click on the USB icon, then left-click Scan for viruses from the drop-down menu. When the Shell Scanner starts, ensure include subdirectory is ticked, and click the green start button (circled below). This will scan your USB drive for any viruses and produce a report like this, which you can then close.

How do I remove a virus from my external hard drive?

#1 Remove the virus

1. Step 1: Enter Safe Mode. Hold the Shift key, then restart your computer by opening the Windows menu, clicking the power icon, and clicking Restart.
2. Step 2: Delete temporary files.
3. Step 3: Download a Virus Scanner.
4. Step 4: Run a Virus Scan.

Do viruses stay on hard drive?

Viruses stored on a hard drive’s firmware are typically activated as soon as a device is plugged in, with no further action required. They’re also usually undetectable and survive reformatting, making them difficult to detect and remove.

Can hard drive be infected?

In other words, once infected, hard drive firmware is indetectable and almost indestructible. It’s easier and cheaper to ditch a suspect drive and buy a new one. Normal malware: check. HDD firmware malware: check.

How do I scan my external hard drive for malware?

Plug the device into your PC, then, from the Home tab of Windows Defender, tick the Custom option on the right-hand side, then hit the Scan Now button. This brings up a list of available drives – select the one you’ve plugged in and click OK to check that particular location for any signs of malware.

Can viruses spread to USB?

An infected computer can spread a virus to a clean USB thumb drive that is inserted. That USB drive will then be spreading the virus onto other computers if the operating system on those machines has an AutoRun-type feature enabled.

Are external hard drives vulnerable to viruses?

These drives, being portable in nature, are thus more vulnerable to virus infections, Trojan horses, and malware caused damages. In such cases of any virus attack on an external HDD, it may even fail due to it. For preventing your external HDD from virus attacks, always remember to perform regular virus checks.

Can a virus spread from one hard drive to another?

And unfortunately, the answer is yes. Viruses can (and often do) spread from drive to drive. When a virus manages to make its way onto your computer it can potentially infect any other drives that are connected to that computer – even USB hard drives, thumb drives and flash media cards.

How do I remove a virus from an external hard drive?

Remove Virus Using CMD To remove the virus from the external hard drive without formatting, you can use CMD. Using CMD for removing the virus from infected external storage media can help in some cases. This being a free and simple method should surely be your first choice towards recovery.

Can mounting a disk drive give you a virus?

Mounting a disk drive on your system can expose you to various types of malware, most notably viruses. We’ll look at steps to do so safely. I have a hard drive that was diagnosed with a virus.