Should I reinstall my Windows after running a suspicious .exe file?

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Asked By CuriousCat123 On

Hey everyone, I made a bit of a risky choice recently and ran a .exe file for a suspicious game I found online. My Windows 11 HP Laptop didn't give me any warnings, just asked if I wanted to run it or not. When I ran it, a setup launched but nothing actually installed, which is what made me think it might be malware. I decided to play it safe and downloaded Malwarebytes, running three scans that found something, which I quarantined and deleted. I also did a quick scan with Windows Defender, and it didn't find anything. Now I'm left wondering if I should do a full wipe and reinstall of my system or if I'm okay since I deleted those files. Did I really get breached, or could this have all been false alarms? How can I be sure?

2 Answers

Answered By GamerOnTheEdge On

What exactly did you run and where did it come from? Windows Defender is usually solid. You might just be overthinking it, but knowing what that .exe was can help gauge the risk. A reinstall isn't necessary just yet without more info.

CuriousCat123 -

It was a game I had my eye on. I was looking for a free way to get it because it costs money. I found it on a GitHub page and there was a download link. I even checked it on VirusTotal and it flagged something related to "Jiangmin Trojan.Shlem.ea," but I read online that usually, 1 out of 60 warnings isn’t a big deal.

Answered By TechWhiz99 On

Honestly, if you're really concerned about malware, wiping your system will definitely give you peace of mind. It's the most foolproof way to ensure that anything lurking around is gone for good, especially since you think the file was suspicious.

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