I'm thinking about switching my laptop's operating system from Windows to Linux. I suspect my laptop is loaded with malware because it has had so many suspicious programs installed over time without much regard for safety. I'm really hoping that by wiping all the data and installing a new OS, I can ensure that all the malware is removed. I've heard that this is a solid way to get rid of any unwanted software, but I'd love to get more insight or confirmation on this. Also, I've been contemplating starting a YouTube channel but am worried about losing progress or having personal info stolen due to hidden malware. Does this make sense?
3 Answers
You don’t necessarily have to switch to Linux for a clean slate. Wiping your drives and reinstalling Windows will work just as well. There's a lot of guides out there on how to do this if you need them. Just make sure you have a reliable USB installation!
If you're wiping the drive completely and reinstalling, you should be fine! Just make sure to format the drive properly, and it’s very unlikely anything will survive unless there’s a BIOS-level infection, which is super rare. Your best bet is to just do a clean install after formatting everything.
Wiping your hard drives and installing Linux will definitely help! Any Windows-specific malware won’t run on Linux unless you take extra steps to make it work, like using Wine. So you're pretty safe there! Just keep your BIOS secure too, but that’s usually not a concern.
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