Will a factory reset remove a virus

Any apps pre-installed by the manufacturer will be reinstated. TVs, printers, and GPS units are all examples of other electronic devices with factory reset options. For example, take the recent case of xHelper which reportedly infected 45, Android users. Once downloaded and installed, xHelper served up intrusive pop- ups and notification spam. Annoying right? Well, what was even more annoying was how xHelper could not be removed.

Even after a factory reset, the app would somehow reinstall itself a few hours later. In most cases, a factory reset will remove viruses.

But how exactly do some manage to survive it? As outlined above, a factory reset will wipe all of your files, documents and apps from your phone or computer. This is why we only recommend a factory reset as your last resort when trying to remove malware. Remember, it will wipe everything. Doing a factory reset is very similar on most Android devices. Here are the steps for some of the most popular manufacturers.

Your best option is to take action now to avoid ever having to go down this route. From today, why not commit to the following? A digital content writer passionate about tech, marketing, and cybersecurity. Malware Threats. Mac Security. Hi there! We use cookies to give you the best online experience.

For details, see our Cookie Policy. Disagree Agree. Our Features. Running a factory reset, also referred to as a Windows Reset or reformat and reinstall, will destroy all data stored on the computer's hard drive and all but the most complex viruses with it. Viruses can't damage the computer itself and factory resets clear out where viruses hide. Running a factory reset will return the computer to its initial power-on state, as far as the operating system and storage devices are concerned.

To run a factory reset, open the Charms bar, select "Settings," tap or click "Update and Recovery," choose "Get started" under the "Remove everything and reinstall Windows" heading and follow the on-screen instructions. Choosing the "Fully clean the drive" option will most likely destroy all viruses. Factory resets don't remove infected files stored on backups: viruses can return to the computer when you restore your old data.

I could email it possibly. Also, I noticed a lot of new threads say their PC has been hijacked. I know my scanner found a virus but could I be hijacked? DDS Version 1. DLL uRun: [ehTray.

If not, restoring to factory settings just may be something to consider. I've been having a problem posting on these forums without getting errors, so if I don't reply, that is why. Hopefully, Dell will fix the posting problem soon. Perhaps another helper will pick up this thread if I am unable to reply.

I just tried a quick scan again. It froze after 29 seconds at files which has happened before. The computer restarted on its own. Is it a guarantee restoring to factory settings will cure it or will the restored factory copy of Vista be corrupted too? Thanks a lot. I don't have too much to lose by resetting to factory. Browse Community. Turn on suggestions. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. Showing results for. Search instead for.

Did you mean:. All forum topics Previous Topic Next Topic. Replies Bugbatter 7 Thorium. Double-click on mbam-setup. When the installation begins, follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.

If an update is found, the program will automatically update itself. Press the OK button to close that box and continue. If you encounter any problems while downloading the updates, manually download them from here and just double-click on mbam-rules. Alternatively, you can update through MBAM's interface from a clean computer, copy the definitions rules.