If you put a usb flash drive into a virus infected computer, will your flassh drive be infected? I have a 1gb sandisk cruzer mini. I will be working at a computer store, and I had virus scanner on it, I was wondering if I can plug this into a computer with a virus, and it wont get infected/corrupted.
2007-06-25 14:54:49 · 11 answers · asked by kid 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
Yes, it can. A virus can easily infect anything plugged into it.
Although, if your flash drive does become infected, it will not easily travel FROM the flash drive to another PC, as long as you don't run or copy anything from it.
If you are going to be in a situation where you think it might become infected, I would suggest using one you can easily wipe... Like this...
Create a store on another PC with a copy of the files on the flash drive, use the flash drive as you wish, then take it back to the other PC, immediately format it, and copy the files back. If you're worried about files getting onto your main work PC, then use a disposable PC with a bare-os installation to store your files. If it becomes infected, just re-install the OS.
That's an extreme method, if you regularly come across virii. Most of the time you can settle for just taking the flash drive to another PC and run a virus scan on it to be sure.
2007-06-25 15:11:44 · answer #1 · answered by The Psycho 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you're just storing data on the Flash drive, then you have nothing to worry about. If there's a virus in the computer and you have .exe files on your Flash drive, then it is possible that the .exe files could be modified, though extremely remote. It depends on what the virus was programmed to do. I don't think that you should worry about it anyway, because viruses usually only target certain files. If it were otherwise, then a virus would infect every single .exe on the computer. Of course, this is never the case.
Some trojans are designed to destroy data, but almost all of the time, the trojans are designed for spying or something like that. Indiscriminant data destruction isn't profitable.
2007-06-25 15:16:17 · answer #2 · answered by Balk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it can infect the key just by plugging it in.
Especially if you have autorun activated (It is by default).
The HIV Virus (W32/LiarVB-A worm) does exactly that.
Sources on the internet are not very clear on the details.
I suspect that I also saw one but I hope I was not infected because I have disabled autorun.
I plugged the infected key in my computer, with the autorun disabled, and using the explore option insteded of open, I found the file that contained the virus, called folder.exe in my case.
I scanned it with NOD32 but unfortunately, nothing was detected. I am sure however that this file and an autorun.inf was not there before I connected to the suspected computer and there is no reason for it to put them on the USB key.
From the lack of clear information on the internet I suspect that the Antivirus companies are not yet ready for this ......
2007-06-26 22:26:57 · answer #3 · answered by matz8945629 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It entirely dependent on how such virus is programmed, in modern age some so called vrus is put together by few scripts attached to a document, then there is nothing to worry about that infecting anywhere by itself.
But a real hardcore virus would have programmed with a USB drive in mind.
2007-06-25 15:26:04 · answer #4 · answered by Andy T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will not become infected automatically. If you save an infected file to your flash drive, then open that file on another computer, you will infect the second computer. If you have anti-virus software, plut the flash drive in the computer and then run a virus scan on that drive letter.
2007-06-25 14:59:43 · answer #5 · answered by Let me steer you 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As long as the viruses from the computer do not get copied to the flash drive. I would be safe and install antivirus software first, BEFORE using the flash drive or any other devices.
2007-06-25 14:58:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the virus. If it is designed to detect new hardware attached to your system and make a copy of itself on that hardware then yes otherwise it most likely won't effect it.
2007-06-25 14:59:17 · answer #7 · answered by gnatlord 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope u should be good, unless you put files from the infected computer onto the clean Sanddisk.
2007-06-25 14:59:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would guess no, as long as you don't download the virus (in the form of a file) onto your flash.
2007-06-25 14:58:18 · answer #9 · answered by kaliroadrager 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
nope not unless u put the files where the virus is onto the flashdrive
2007-06-25 14:57:42 · answer #10 · answered by Brandon 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋