can a flash drive get infected by a virus?

[XKXKXKXKXKXKXKX]

can a flash drive get infected by a virus? cause i have really important info in a 8gb flash drive and it is password protect it. to access it but if a computer has a virus can the flash drive get it too?

[Krustybobo]

your WHAT got infected with WHOS Drive slot?
Lol but really, i dunno... im nota tech guy. but i dont think so

[nKk2]

can a flash drive get infected by a virus? cause i have really important info in a 8gb flash drive and it is password protect it. to access it but if a computer has a virus can the flash drive get it too?


Of course it can. If you put a file on it that has a virus. But it won't do any harm if you dont open it

[ElJohno]

Malware isn't really my specialty.. But from what I know is that some viruses, or more worms, use the AutoPlay or AutoRun feature on Windows operating systems to spread themselves onto flash drives to be further spread onto other systems. So yes, it's very possible your flash drive can get infected (assuming you use Windows).

I'd suggest you buy another cheap, small flash drive for insecure outside use (i.e. school, work), and keep the important 8GB drive for home use or places you can trust.
If you have a spare PC, run it through the spare PC and scan the USB drive with Anti-virus software before you run it on your main PC. Or install Linux on this spare computer and use it for running and storing the USB data.

Also an important note: keeping regular backups is a must-do if you have important data.

[NemesisX]

i know quite a bit about computers.

No the drive cant get infected. only a program on the drive can cary
the virus. anything that program gets downloaded onto it will corrupt and kill that comp.

the only time i ever heard of a virust taking over a whole
flash drive was like... a super enginered one.

[PiNGPaWN]

When the conficker worm was going around you weren't aloud to plug your
flash drives into school computers because some flash drives had the virus.

So obviously, your flash drive can get a virus and infect every computer that it is
plugged into.

[Pro05]

I know queit a bit about computers.
And yes your flash drive can get infected by a virus and it will effect any computer plugged into.

[Cobra]

... to much back and forth bickering.

Yes the drive can get infected, but how it gets infected depends on the virus/Trojan/worm. Generally though they do not target external drives but it is very possible as noted on Conficker which mainly spread through flash drives. and here's what to do if yours ever becomes infected.

hold the Shift key. Insert flash drive. Open your antivirus and do a scan (but when it ask what kind of scan. select your flash drive as the drive instead of your C:\ drive).