Well, what was even more annoying was how xHelper could not be removed. Once downloaded and installed, xHelper served up intrusive pop- ups and notification spam. It managed to infiltrate users’ devices by hiding in the code of unofficial Android apps downloaded outside the Play Store. XHelper started infecting Android devices in March 2019. Due to the wide variety and ever-evolving nature of computer viruses, it’s impossible to say for sure that a factory reset will be the answer to curing your device from malware infection.įor example, take the recent case of xHelper which reportedly infected 45,000 Android users. In short, yes, a factory reset will usually remove viruses … but (there’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there?) not always. If your device does become infected by a virus, a factory reset may be the only way to remove it. This is why protecting your devices with cybersecurity software and avoiding the problem in the first place is the best approach. Viruses can be tricky to detect and time-consuming to remove.

You suspect you have a virus on your device.

However, if the problem stems from your hard drive or operating system (OS), a factory reset might be a handy option. We’d only recommend this as a last resort though after you’ve attempted a manual clean-up. If your device has become slow, is freezing on you, or just not performing well, you might decide to try a reset to factory settings. If you’re passing your device on to someone else you’ll want to ensure you wipe your personal information and history from it first.

Giving away or selling your device to someone else.

There are a few different reasons why you might want to do a factory reset on your device.

TVs, printers, and GPS units are all examples of other electronic devices with factory reset options.įor MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac owners, here’s a detailed guide on how to reset Mac to factory settings.

It’s not just computers and phones that can be restored to factory settings. Any apps pre-installed by the manufacturer will be reinstated. On your phone or desktop computer, this means all your apps and files will be removed.

What does a factory reset do?Ī factory reset means erasing all of the information on an electronic device and restoring the software to its original state (when it was in the factory). If your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android smartphone becomes infected by a virus, a factory reset is one way of potentially removing it.

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