Mouse and keyboard virus question

Hi,

Well, this is perhaps a little basic. I don't know a lot about IT. I may purchase a second-hand PS/2 mouse and keyboard. I have heard that USB mouses (mice?) and keyboards can carry a virus and infect your computer:

infection - Can my mouse have virus and infect other machines? - Information Security Stack Exchange

but is this true for PS/2 mouses and keyboards as well?

Thanks.

PS: I know it says I have a Win 7 system, but I am on the Win 10 forum because I am in the process of upgrading to Win 10, and have had trouble and it was suggested I remove my USB mouse and keyboard and use PS/2 instead, for the upgrade process.

This sort of stuff are discussed as theories , in theories it may work (not with all mice / keyboards but with specific high-end ones that has write-able roms allowing firmware updates) , but in practice no hacker / virus creator bother because the internet is always the medium of choice for spreading infections then comes flash drives .

There is a free antivirus and firewall named Comodo in case price is an issue when it comes to protection , then maybe when you are on windows 10 you can stick to windows defender , the microsoft built in antivirus , people find it enough .

If your mouse and keyboard don't have upgradeable firmware, don't worry about it.

I dimly recall that some older motherboards could fail to use USB mice and keyboards under some circumstances (like in the BIOS settings). New motherboards may not even come with PS/2 ports. It may be nice to have a PS/2 keyboard on hand as insurance, but it shouldn't be necessary.

You have found some fringe stuff on the Web. The probability of it being relevant to you is very small.

sygnus21 said:

Not so fringe...

Logitech Response to Research Findings
Why you should really, really update your Logitech wireless dongle

BTW I strictly use Logitech Mice and Keyboards and am currently using their Craft keyboard and MX Master 2S mouse. Prior to that, I was using the unifying dongle for their Logitech Wave keyboard and MX Performance mouse. In all that time I never knew about that Dongle issue until I saw your reply and Googled "logitech mouse firmware"

Anyway while I agree with you this is rare, it's not unheard of. That said, I have a philosophy of not worrying about every dark event around the corner else you live a paralyzed life.

My two cents.

I wasn't thinking of wireless keyboards and mice. I have some lying about, but I haven't used them in a few years. I wonder whether the OP was contemplating them?

If asked whether a Logitech wireless dongle had firmware that could be upgraded, I would have had to say - no idea.