Dealing with a Computer Virus: Protecting Your Precious Photos

Recently, I encountered a frustrating situation that left me contemplating the safety of my digital memories. My husband unwittingly exposed our computer to a malware threat after clicking a dubious link on an online blog. The repercussions were immediate; our computer faced significant disruptions, and it took considerable effort to get it back up and running after a restart. To make matters worse, we received a phone call from someone impersonating a Microsoft representative. They astutely provided the last four digits of our bank account and attempted to convince my husband to sign in to verify the account. Thankfully, he recognized the scam and ended the call promptly.

As I navigated through the aftermath, I was particularly concerned about a collection of precious photos that I had postponed transferring to a USB drive. After restoring the computer to a previous state from about a week ago, I was relieved to discover that Windows Defender did not flag any threats. However, the initial lack of alerts left me feeling uneasy about the potential risks.

We’ve decided to proceed with a factory reset on our system, but my main priority at this moment is to securely transfer those cherished photos. This raises a pressing question: How likely is it that these images might carry the remnants of the virus?

Understanding the Risks

When it comes to viruses and malware, the safest course of action is to remain cautious. Typically, viruses do not infect media files like photos directly; however, if the malware encountered on our system embedded itself into other files or software, there could be an indirect risk when transferring files to new devices.

Safe Practices for Transferring Photos

To minimize any potential risks while transferring your photos, consider these best practices:

Scan the USB Drive: Before transferring any files, use an updated antivirus software to perform a thorough scan of the USB drive.
Extract Photos from Safe Backups: If you have backups of your photos on cloud storage or external drives that haven’t been connected to the infected system, retrieve your photos from there instead.
Use a Trusted Computer: If possible, transfer the files onto a different computer that you know is free of any viruses.
Create a New Restore Point: Once you’ve safely transferred your files, consider creating a new restore point on your computer to ensure you can revert back to a clean state in the future.