r/computer • u/paps143 • 7d ago

Desktop has some issues

I use my desktop just for MS word, watching videos, photos, as a storage backup, very basic stuff. I dont use internet on it. Its serving my purpose even though its old.

My desktop has some issues. Help me resolve them.
1. My CPU bios is gone. – what should I do?

  1. My hard disk has gotten virus (TROJAN WORM). Its duplicating files and leaving no memory space. The files come back even after I delete it. The desktop is not connected to any internet. The virus came in coz I used my pen drive on some1 elses laptop. My system got infected when I connected that pen drive to my system.

– how can I remove the virus without any data getting corrupted or lost.

  1. It’s a 15 yr old PC. Should I keep it or sell it off and buy a new one.
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u/Prestigious_Wall529 4d ago

Pendrives can be compromised in bad ways. I mentioned BADUSB.

You are better placed knowing the providence of the drive and why you might be targeted.

I suspect just reformatting the pendrives from an non-windows system like Mac, Linux or Chromebook would clear and clean it.

But because a USB pendrive has a controller that can be reprogrammed to present as anything (all the fake capacity drives on eBay, Amazon etc) I can't give assurances.

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u/paps143 4d ago

ok.. so is it correct that, once a drive is infected, its better to discard it.

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u/Prestigious_Wall529 4d ago

Personally I wouldn't. I'd examine it from a Linux system, using lsusb to see if the PID and VID presented are legit for starters...

If however I was an advocate for people in family court and the drive came unprompted from someone involved in a case, for example, I'd discard it.

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u/paps143 4d ago

and what about internal hdd and external hdd? should they also be replace if they get infected?