I have a spare USB stick that I found and want to install windows on my PC because I am upgrading my SSD, but the USB stick contains lot’s of roms and ISOS of games that I installed on there like 4 years ago, so it may potentially have viruses and so I am left wondering if this USB stick is safe to use to install windows in my PC or that I’d be better off buying another one to be safe.

Does formatting erase a virus if there was any in a USB?

  • 1billionWOinternet@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Since at least Windows 10, USB’s don’t autorun from the desktop. Maybe don’t stick it in during preboot if you wanna be super cautious. Just format it after plugging it in and you’re good.

    Not unless your system is already infected with a simple background task that will autorun it. In the PC world we call it “Getting DP’d”. Look it up on Bing video search for more details.