Is it safe to replace an infected hard drive with a new one on my Windows 11 computer?
Asked by
CuriousCat89
A few years back, a family member's computer got hit by a Trojan (specifically Trojan:Win32/Redline.GMI!MTB), which I suspect is a RedLine Stealer. The computer has been untouched since then, and I'm considering swapping out the infected hard drive for a fresh, clean one instead of just tossing the whole machine. I feel like this would be a good way to salvage the computer, but I'm worried about any lurking issues, like potential BIOS or UEFI infections. What do people think about this approach? Is there anything I should be cautious about?
Answers
BIOS or UEFI infections are super rare since access to those areas is specific to each manufacturer. Swapping in a new hard drive is definitely the safest bet. If you're feeling adventurous, you could also wipe the old drive using your motherboard's secure erase feature or boot into a live USB with something like GParted to wipe it clean. Just make sure to have all your data backed up, just in case!
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You probably won’t need to dump the infected drive just because of that Trojan. It's typically not persistent, so a clean Windows install should do the trick. Just make sure to delete all partitions on the drive during the setup process, and you should be fine!
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SafetyFirst123: Good point! It's always best to backup before doing any major changes. Better safe than sorry!