So, my nephew downloaded a game, but it got blocked by Windows Defender when he tried to open it. The file has been removed, and after running an offline Defender scan and Malwarebytes in safe mode, neither found any threats. Now I'm wondering, could files like my pictures or videos still be infected? If there was an infection, would a scan have detected it?
3 Answers
They technically can infect other files, but in practice, it doesn’t happen often. Since Defender blocked the file, it likely didn’t execute any harmful actions. So, it’s more about peace of mind than actual risk.
Yeah, it's possible for malware to infect other files, but it's pretty unlikely in everyday situations. Most malware isn't designed to target files like pictures or videos because these files have limited space to hide malicious code. You're more likely to catch any infection with a trustworthy antivirus. If you're super worried, the best move is to back up your important stuff and do a fresh install of Windows. That's a solid way to make sure you’re clean.
It's theoretically possible for malware to target your personal files, but that kind of attack is pretty rare. Most malware needs to actually execute to cause harm, and since Defender stopped the file from running, you're probably in the clear. Just keep your system updated and do regular scans.
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