I've got a bit of a situation here. My Instagram account got hijacked through my PC, and I suspect I might have some kind of infostealer on my system. I have three drives: two SSDs for Windows and programs, and a storage HDD where I keep backups of videogame saves, graphics files, and various documents. It doesn't have any programs installed, just a few installation files. I'm planning to format my PC and reinstall Windows from a USB. Do I need to format the HDD too, or can I just leave it as is? I have no way to back up such a large amount of data. Any advice would be appreciated!
4 Answers
It's pretty rare for infostealers to persist on a secondary drive. Still, running a deep antivirus scan on your HDD is smart. If you format it, you lose your files, so weigh that decision carefully!
It's usually okay to just format the SSDs since most malware resides on the system drive. However, make sure to scan your HDD first and avoid running any files from it. It's best to only transfer essential files like photos, documents, and game backups. Don't run any .exe files from that drive, as they could be compromised. After you're done with the installation, download new software from verified sites, run a thorough antivirus check on the HDD, and remember to update your passwords and enable two-factor authentication to keep safe.
Wiping the SSDs while keeping the HDD is a decent plan, just avoid running anything executable from that drive. A thorough scan after the reinstall is a must!
If you know exactly which virus you're dealing with, it might be safe to skip formatting the HDD. But if you're unsure or if the malware hides well, it's probably best to flash your BIOS and firmware as well, just to be safe.
Thanks! I’ll make sure to delete all .exe files on the HDD and format both SSDs.