Reference number: CH001119

Can a virus damage computer hardware?

Question:

Answer:

No. Computer viruses are software code designed to spread to computer files and other computers, delete files, and cause other problems with the data on the computer. So if you're experiencing an issue with a hardware device such as your printer, video card, sound card, etc. it is not due to a virus.

That being said, it is possible that a virus could corrupt data on the computer including the software drivers that are used to allow your hardware devices to communicate with the computer. If this were to occur it may prevent the device from working but would not physically damage the hardware.

If you're experiencing a hardware issue make sure you have the latest drivers installed on the computer. You may also want to try to reinstall the drivers. A listing of driver links can be found through our drivers page.