I downloaded an .exe file to my internal storage and, against my better judgment, ran it. A day later, I received a notification from Google about strange activity on my account. I deleted the .exe shortly after that, but it hasn't stopped the issues. Today, I noticed an Amazon order charged to a card that isn't mine and sent to a location I don't recognize. I need to know how to effectively remove the virus from my system. Also, I have external hard drives connected to my PC at all times—do I need to format them and lose all my data, or can I avoid that?
2 Answers
If you've run a suspicious file, you should definitely take immediate action. Start by performing a clean installation of Windows using a USB drive. You can find detailed instructions if you search for clean installs in this forum. Meanwhile, change all your passwords using a different device, set up two-factor authentication on your accounts, log out any unrecognized devices, and keep an eye on your accounts for unusual activity. It's also recommended to freeze or replace any credit cards that may have been compromised.
Running antivirus is good, but a clean install ensures that anything hidden is removed. It's the safest option.
Before proceeding with anything drastic, I suggest running a scan with VirusTotal and doing a Windows Defender offline scan. Some scam emails could just be phishing attempts without necessarily implying a virus on your machine.
Is it really necessary to do a complete wipe? Can't you just run an antivirus?