I'm really anxious right now because I just got a new laptop from Amazon, and it's acting really strange. Even though it has the same specs as my previous laptop, it struggles to run many games. The daily quick scans with Windows Defender aren't happening as they should, and something odd occurred today. When I shut down my laptop, the usual menu displaying apps like Steam that were still running didn't pop up, which freaked me out. When I powered it back on, it said updates were in progress, but the update history didn't reflect any updates for today, only an intelligence update from Windows Defender, which is unusual. I'm worried because I might have had malware on my old laptop, and I'm scared it's spreading over my home network. My online gaming experience has really suffered due to lag spikes, and I've only done safe things like deleting a spam email on this new device. My family members aren't on board with doing fresh installs on their devices, so I'm feeling pretty hopeless about it. What should I do?
3 Answers
If you're really worried, the safest option might be to wipe the laptop and start fresh. Just back up any important files first—not the risky stuff that might carry malware! It's a hassle, but it gives you peace of mind.
Hang tight! Make sure Windows Defender is active, and scan your laptop thoroughly. You could also download a reputable malware scanner to double-check things. And keep your system updated regularly. That should minimize your risks a lot.
It's really unlikely that any malware from your old laptop jumped to your new one or to other devices on your Wi-Fi. Unlike real viruses, computer malware typically needs a user to actively do something—like running a sketchy file—to spread. If all your other devices are up to date, you're at an even lower risk. Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by 'the same specs'? What are the specific differences you noticed between your old and new laptops?
I have an 11th gen Intel i7 with integrated graphics and 16GB of RAM, which is actually more RAM than my last one. Do you think it's possible I still have malware?