I recently built a new PC, but I'm worried I might have messed up the installation of Windows. Instead of using a fresh installer from Microsoft, I installed from a laptop that likely had viruses. Now, every time I boot up, I see a CMD window flash briefly, which is making me paranoid that there might be something wrong with my system.
Can viruses infect my hardware like the GPU, CPU, or motherboard in a way that survives a clean reinstall? If I took my GPU out and put it in a different computer, could it spread a virus? Also, what's the best way to ensure my system is completely clean? I know just resetting Windows won't cut it. Should I be concerned about BIOS or firmware-level infections? I'm looking for a method that guarantees peace of mind. Also, regarding the CMD popup—is that always a sign of malware, or could it just be a normal process? How can I check what's causing it?
4 Answers
The CMD pop-up can be totally normal—sometimes it's just from a scheduled task or an app starting up. But you’re right to be cautious. The chances of a virus infecting hardware like a GPU or motherboard are extremely low unless it’s a really advanced situation, almost governmental. Just reinstalling Windows from a clean USB made on another safe machine should clear out any infections. Trust me, focus on that!
TL;DR: It’s super unlikely your hardware got infected. The best bet is to reinstall cleanly, making sure to start with a fresh USB. Firmware infections happen but are rare. Look into flashing your BIOS and don't forget to run scans after you’ve restored your files to be sure you’re clean.
If I’m using a USB from an infected source, can I reinfect my new setup? What’s the safest way to save my important files?
Like others said, that CMD flash isn’t usually a sign of something bad. It could be from standard programs running tasks at startup. You can check all scheduled tasks to see what’s going on. Use Task Scheduler or Autoruns from Sysinternals to investigate what’s starting up with your PC.
Okay, thanks! I’ll take a look at those tools. Do I need to worry about shares from other devices or is this contained?
To guarantee a completely clean setup, it’s simple: create a bootable USB with Windows directly from a clean machine—maybe use Rufus for that. When installing, delete all partitions, and then install Windows fresh. UEFI-level viruses are super rare—just make sure your BIOS is updated as an extra step. After installing, run a full antivirus scan to catch anything that sneaks through.
Got it! But how would I update the BIOS? Should I do that before installing Windows or after?
Thanks for the info! But isn’t it still worth checking for any possible infections in firmware, just to be safe?