[jceac]

I was just wondering, whether or not scanning my external hard drive for malware is redundant if my laptop itself is not infected.

Since I always connect the external hd to my laptop, does that mean malware is automatically transfered to and from the hd and the laptop?

Also, is it safe to say that if my external hd were to have an infection, then my laptop, would be infected as well?

Also, I have:
Windows XP Home SP2, firewall turned on.
Spybot S&D
SUPERAntiSpyware
AVG Free Ed.

Am I protected enough?

Thanks!
Happy New Year!

[Elvandil]

I don't see much purpose in it unless you download to that folder or do something unusual like that. My second drive is competely "passive" in that I don't run any programs from it--it is solely for storage. So I see no point in scanning it.

[Rockn]

So you are saying no files that are on an external drive can be infected? Good luck with that.

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by Rockn

So you are saying no files that are on an external drive can be infected? Good luck with that.

I've never found any infections on the non-system drive.

[jceac]

I only use the external hard drive for storage as well (no programs).

I guess to rephrase for Rockn: Isn't it safe to say that there is no need to scan an external hd if the laptop is clean because if it were infected, the laptop it's always connected to would be infected first/as well? - not that external hard drives are immune.

Thanks Elvandil (again). That'll save me some time in the future!

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by jceac

I only use the external hard drive for storage as well (no programs).

I guess to rephrase for Rockn: Isn't it safe to say that there is no need to scan an external hd if the laptop is clean because if it were infected, the laptop it's always connected to would be infected first/as well? - not that external hard drives are immune.

Thanks Elvandil (again). That'll save me some time in the future!

I'd say you hit the nail on the head. If the main drive is not infected, it's very unlikely that the secondary would be, but as you say, they are not "immune". If someone had a download folder on that drive, for example, and downloaded an infected file, though the AV would most likely catch it, it would be possible to have a bad file on the second drive. But even then, it would be totally harmless unless "deployed" in some way. Viruses don't leap on their own power, so the file would need to be opened, executed, extracted, or have some operation performed on it by the system on the main drive.