4 Ways To Remove A Virus From A Flash Drive

Back in 2011, Microsoft changed Windows so that files on USB drives cannot run unless you actually open the drive’s contents and click the file name. [1] X Research source This is why you generally won’t find “autorun” viruses on flash drives anymore. If you’re using third-party virus protection like Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky, you can use that application to remove viruses from your flash drive instead. Sometimes the virus software will launch automatically as soon as you connect the drive and give you the option to scan. [2] X Research source

If you’re using a different antivirus solution than Windows Security, you may see the option to launch that application instead. Open your antivirus program and run a scan on the flash drive.

This can take a while if you have a lot of files on your flash drive.

Microsoft Safety Scanner is a portable application, which means it doesn’t have to be installed or removed. [3] X Research source If you’re using third-party virus protection like Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky, you can use that application to remove viruses from your flash drive instead. Sometimes the antivirus software will launch automatically as soon as you plug in the drive and give you the option to scan. If nothing pops up automatically but use third-party antivirus protection, launch your antivirus software and run a scan on your flash drive.

If you’re using Windows 8, open the Control Panel, and select System. On Windows 7, open the Start menu, right-click Computer, and select Properties.

After launching the app, you’ll typically have to click Yes to run it and/or enter your password.

This can take a while if you have a lot of files on your flash drive.

If you’re using Windows 10, try using the Using Windows Security (Windows 10) method first. If you’re using Windows 8. 1 or earlier, try the Using Microsoft Safety Scanner (Windows 8. 1 and Earlier) method first. It’s possible that Windows’ own built-in antivirus software can fix the problem for you.

You’ll need to know the drive letter of your USB drive (e. g. , F: or D:) to remove the files. If you’re not sure what it is, press the Windows key and the E key on the keyboard to open File Explorer, and then scroll down on the left panel to find your flash drive and corresponding drive letter. You may have to click an arrow or plus symbol next to “This PC” or “Computer” to see the drive.

You may be prompted to verify your password to open up the window.

For example, if your USB drive is the F drive, type F: and press the Enter key.

To see a list of files on the drive, type dir /s and press the Enter key.

Go to https://www. avg. com/en-us/avg-antivirus-for-mac. Click the green Free Download button in the top-right area of the page. If the download doesn’t start automatically, click click here near the center of the page to start it. Once the installer is finished downloading, you’ll see a floating arrow on the AVG page that says “OPEN your downloaded file. " Click the location indicated by the arrow to launch the installer. Follow the on-screen instructions to install AVG.

If you’re using AVG AntiVirus, you can also click the shield icon in the menu bar near the top-right corner of the screen and select Open AVG AntiVirus. [8] X Research source

Click the AVG AntiVirus menu near the top-left corner of the screen and select Preferences. Click the Scanning tab. Check the box next to “Scan external drives and shared folders. " Click the red circle at the top-left corner of the window to close it.