So if the recovery partition itself is infected, a factory reset will not do you much good. It’s a space on your device storage that keeps a clean system image for the factory reset option. Another possibility is that the malware has invaded your device’s recovery partition.Your backup is infected, and as soon as you try to restore it to your freshly reset device, the malware jumps to your device and reinfects it.If your device has been infected with malware that keeps coming back even after a factory reset, there is a possibility you are dealing with one of the following scenarios: What If the Virus Returns After Factory Reset? Fortunately, by 2020, the folks at MalwareBytes were able to find a way to remove it. It targeted Android devices and was successful at surviving the factory reset. One such trojan-xHelper– emerged in 2019. So, you may encounter trojans and rootkits that can survive a factory reset, but it’s relatively rare. It’s the nuclear option, but it works, except in some very rare cases.Įach year, viruses become more sophisticated, and cybercriminals are finding new ways to infect unsuspecting devices. By returning the OS to its original state, the factory reset option unwittingly removes any infected programs or files on your device. You can get rid of pretty much all viruses and other malware by doing a factory reset. RELATED: Does Your Computer Have a Virus? Here's How to Check Is a Factory Reset Helpful in Removing Viruses? But it’ll work the same way for any malware infection as an actual factory reset would work. In that case, your device will return to a fresh install of the current OS on the device, not its original operating system. But that isn’t always technically true, particularly in the case of phones and tablets that have gotten an upgraded operating system.įor example, suppose you attempt to use the factory reset option on a phone or tablet that has received an upgraded OS. Interestingly, the factory reset moniker suggests your device will return to the same state when it was shipped to you or when you bought it.

Factory reset pc