I recently downloaded a game hack from Discord that seemed to be popular among a lot of users, but I have been really anxious about it since some of the files raised red flags in VirusTotal. After this experience, I tried to reset my PC to factory settings, but it wouldn't work. I've done multiple scans with Malwarebytes and Windows Defender, including an offline scan, and they all came back clean. I even ran a system file check and restarted my PC, but the factory reset still failed. Eventually, I used a backup USB to reinstall Windows and deleted everything on my drives during the process. Now, I'm worried if a virus could have infected my hardware like my motherboard or GPU, and if it could survive a factory reset. Also, I'm concerned that a virus could infect any USB drives I connect to my PC, which would then spread to my main system. Can any of this happen?
4 Answers
In theory, it is possible for malware to embed itself in hardware firmware, but this isn't common or practical for most attacks. Generally, if your scans come back clean, you should be good. Most hardware components like the CPU or RAM won't retain any data after a power loss, so they're unlikely to store a virus. As for USB drives, Windows disabled AutoRun by default from Windows 7 onwards, which greatly reduces the risk of viruses automatically executing from a USB stick.
You'd be safe; hardware like HDDs can't actively reinfect what's on your OS. Your clean installs and scans would prevent that.
Honestly, keeping an eye on the types of downloads you do and using antivirus protection like Malwarebytes and Windows Defender is your best bet for future safety. If it made you feel uneasy, that's enough reason to steer clear in the future!
If you ran all those thorough scans and they came back clean, you're probably in the clear. Just to be extra diligent, fully format your drives using a bootable program like DBAN, which will overwrite all data. A factory reset isn’t as thorough as a complete wipe, so that's why some still recommend it if you're super concerned.
Sounds like a lot of work, but I guess it's better to be safe!
Yeah, I’d rather go through that than have ongoing concerns about hidden malware.
It's really unlikely that a virus could persist on something like your motherboard or other hardware. The scenarios where malware survives beyond a basic format are very rare and not practical for typical users. If you’re still anxious, sticking to known clean backups and practicing good security helps a lot.
What if any of my hardware was infected after a format? Could it reinfect my system?