USB 'pen' drive has a virus - safe removal?

lightisfading

We put my USB stick into OH's computer today to get some files, and Avast detected a virus/trojan on it :mad: No idea where that's come from as my computer seems to be clean , as does his, so my only guess is the work PCs. Anyway - he's removed the drive and does not want to reinsert it into his PC for obvious reasons, and neither do I! All of the files are copies/backups anyway so is there a safe way I can format the drive completely, remove all viruses etc so I can use it again, without risk of infecting my PC? (it's that or bin it, which I'd rather not do)

fwor

One way that should be totally safe is to download the Open Source GPARTED LiveCD and boot your PC from it, insert the pendrive and format it.

It should be totally safe because GPARTED boots a linux kernel which no Windows virus will touch, and also a LiveCD won't alter the PCs hard disk.

[Edit: If you use this method you need to be CERTAIN that the drive you are looking at is the pendrive and not the PC's hard drive! You select which device from the drop-down box at the top right.]

fiddiwebb

Are you sure it is not a false positive?

Google the name of the virus just to double check.

closed

Avast found it, and can deal with it, so you have nothing to worry about.

uk_messer

Avast and even AVG tend to pick up viruses/trojans where other anti-virus softwares don't. And they never give a name - just generic. From reading the experience of others, it seems these are just false results many times.

There's no need to worry and you certainly don't need to bin the usb pen drive. Avast will either delete the offending file or you can safely format it.

mr_fishbulb

uk_messer wrote: »

Avast and even AVG tend to pick up viruses/trojans where other anti-virus softwares don't. And they never give a name - just generic. From reading the experience of others, it seems these are just false results many times.

There's no need to worry and you certainly don't need to bin the usb pen drive. Avast will either delete the offending file or you can safely format it.

They usually have generic names because they are picked up heuristically.

Viruses on USB sticks usually try to load using the windows autorun feature that is why AV usually picks it up as soon as the stick is plugged in.

USB sticks have very little need for autorun. If something is being flagged by your AV software when you put in a USB stick, it is very unlikely to be a false positive.

Depending on where in the USB stick file system the virus lives, you may need to do a complete format as suggested by fwor. Certainty you will not need to through the stick away, but I would treat this a little less flippantly.

familyfitz

I had a similar problem couple of weeks ago and AVAST suggested (on first detection of virus/trojan) to move it to the virus chest hence isolating it. I then did thorough scans of my computer including all my USB keys including offending one. Did malwarescan too.

All came up clear and I was advised that as the virus was 'in the chest' and isolated, I had to do nothing more.