I've recently found an old laptop that has some important documents and photos I'd like to keep. However, that laptop has definitely seen better days, and I'm worried about transferring any potential malware to my new computer. How can I safely move my files without bringing any unwanted software along for the ride?
2 Answers
If you're just transferring files like photos and documents, you should be fine. Most formats like jpgs, pdfs, and docx files don’t typically carry malware, especially if you created them. Just make sure to run a virus scan when you do the transfer, just in case!
A great option is to take out the hard drive from your old laptop and connect it to your new one using an external drive enclosure. This way, nothing starts up from the old machine, and you can easily scan all the files with Windows Defender before copying anything over.
I actually don’t have an external enclosure at the moment. I was considering booting into Ubuntu from a USB drive to transfer the files. Would that help prevent any malware from transferring?