Hey everyone, a few weeks back I was simply browsing a wiki page when I was suddenly redirected to a malicious site. After that scare, I ran nine different virus scanners, reset Chrome to its default settings, uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome, and even changed my password from another device. I haven't turned on my computer since then, but now my friends want to game, and I'm feeling overwhelmed with panic that there might still be malware on my system. I'm hoping to get some advice on what to do next that doesn't involve a complete Windows reinstall, as getting a USB installation right now is tough for me. I hope this post is okay; I checked the rules and didn't notice anything against it, but it feels a bit risky to share.
2 Answers
Honestly, if you didn't download anything, there's a very high chance your system is fine. Simply browsing a malicious site doesn't typically infect your computer unless you run something you downloaded. You seem a bit paranoid, but that’s totally understandable! Just remember, be cautious but don’t panic too much.
It’s good that you took precautions! Simply being redirected to a bad site doesn’t automatically mean you got infected. In most cases, malware needs to be downloaded and executed. If you've run multiple reputable antivirus programs and they came up clean, I think you can relax a little. If your only concern was a redirect, chances are you’re in the clear!
I appreciate that! The redirect just felt unnatural, like it could indicate a hijacker. But I get it, I might be overthinking things.