Reset Windows 10

[Snowflake]

Hi there,

I've already posted this on the hp support forums but maybe you could help me too as you all seem to know a lot about PCs.

I got a very nasty virus/trojan (not sure what that was) today and it kept installing new programs, everything in chinese (it was called Qykernel if that helps anyone that might have it) and I was really freaking out about losing my files. Upon googling I found that on Windows 10 we now have the option to reset Windows instead of having to install a completely clean version of Windows10.

So, I did that, it said it would reset my configs and delete all programs, but keep my personal files.

It did it's job and my files are here.

There were also some icons in my desktop, one with an internet explorer icon (which I didn't open because we all know on Win10 there's no Internet Explorer and a chinese shortcut for something else without an icon), so since I requested it to not delete my files and those were only shortcuts (I think, I didn't try opening them) should I be worried about these two files? I deleted them immediately.


Is there ANY way of seeing if my personal files got infected too? Should I do a new reset of the system and clean up everything?

 

[bluviaggiatore]

If I were you , I would install bitdefender ,AVG etc , and then scan again my PC against any viruses . To be sure about virus , you should install an antivirus software .

 

[Snowflake]

I have Windows Defender, which is awesome!! I was testing something and disabled it and all these malwares started coming through from nowhere. So, in a way, I know I did this. I just never thought for just a few minutes something as huge as this could happen. I only had a few trusted websites open, it doesn't make sense. I will never disable Windows Defender ever again.

 

[Yozora]

Sorry to hear about what happened to your computer! If you're using Windows Defender though, I highly recommend getting something else. Windows Defender ranked dead last in protection from viruses.

 

[Snowflake]

Wow really? I never had problems with it. They even detected the malware, but the virus was already spreading, it was unstoppable. Which do you recomend?

I used to have kaspersky before using the one that comes with windows, but it slowed down my laptop soooo much, especially while navigating the internet.

 

[Yozora]

Well, I use BitDefender Free for viruses and scan every once in a while with Malwarebytes for malware. BitDefender is lighter on system resources than others I've used. Others may have different recommendations, so as long as whatever you use is highly-ranked, it should be fine.

 

[strokerace]

The virus is from Kaspersky. Download microsoft security essentials. It will fix all your problems

 

[Genesis]

The virus is from Kaspersky. Download microsoft security essentials. It will fix all your problems

Can you give more info strokerace. Is it possible to provide more info about this specific virus from Kaspersky and maybe a link?

 

[Snowflake]

I was using microsoft security essentials - in win10 it's called windows defender, but it looks and is the same.

I haven't used any antivirus since using security essentials or defender because I never had problems with those. I was asking for others since Yozora mentioned the microsoft antivirus was ranked low....

 

[strokerace]

The virus is from Kaspersky. Download microsoft security essentials. It will fix all your problems

Can you give more info strokerace. Is it possible to provide more info about this specific virus from Kaspersky and maybe a link?

Lets see if I can explain it. If you have an AV installed. You get those warnings about attacks, virus etc. Those are just scare tactics to get you to buy the program or keep buying it every year.

Now, if you have certain AV installed on your computer, you can get infected from a virus that will continue to infect and spread through out the computer based on the AV you have installed. Its essentially disabled. The AV companies have written they snippets to get you to buy other programs to remove the infected files. Can you find info on the net about this, no. They are keeping it hidden other wise people would not buy the AV. You will how ever find a few articles about AV companies that have done this and got caught doing it. These were not well known, but they are all doing it.

There has been arguments about this for years about Virus. Some argue there are still virus out there and some say there isn't. The last know virus was written in 1999. This is according to the true meaning of a virus were it destroys files and your computer. Anything after then is just garble code that does nothing more then be a pain. People will even argue that a worm is the samething, its not. I don't believe in AV's. I do use M$ security essentials until recently when M$ screwed around with it.

What AV's do now, is scan for infected files that have trojans installed in them. Trojans, although some will argue can be harmful, are nothing more then people trying to use your computer to steal your information, like Logins, bank info etc

 

[Snowflake]

Whatever infected my computer seemed to have some control over it. Chrome got shut down and a different fake browser immediately showed up in it's place, I guess so they could get the person's info? I didn't use it ever. Also the print screen stopped working. It was all pretty scary, and so I used the reset option to install a clean version of Win10 and keep my files. Everything seems to be working fine now, my only question is to figure out if any of the files I kept are infected, because any of the malicious programs arent here anymore.

Since microsoft security came around, havent used kaspersky ever since. That one is paid FYI, never got asked to buy anything and it always protected me against everything. It was just slow and of course paying for a license every year, with the rest of the software I have to pay for, was out of the question. So since Win 8 came around have used the microsoft one and the malware only entered because it was disabled!!

 

[Genesis]

The virus is from Kaspersky. Download microsoft security essentials. It will fix all your problems

Can you give more info strokerace. Is it possible to provide more info about this specific virus from Kaspersky and maybe a link?

Lets see if I can explain it. If you have an AV installed. You get those warnings about attacks, virus etc. Those are just scare tactics to get you to buy the program or keep buying it every year.

Now, if you have certain AV installed on your computer, you can get infected from a virus that will continue to infect and spread through out the computer based on the AV you have installed. Its essentially disabled. The AV companies have written they snippets to get you to buy other programs to remove the infected files. Can you find info on the net about this, no. They are keeping it hidden other wise people would not buy the AV. You will how ever find a few articles about AV companies that have done this and got caught doing it. These were not well known, but they are all doing it.

There has been arguments about this for years about Virus. Some argue there are still virus out there and some say there isn't. The last know virus was written in 1999. This is according to the true meaning of a virus were it destroys files and your computer. Anything after then is just garble code that does nothing more then be a pain. People will even argue that a worm is the samething, its not. I don't believe in AV's. I do use M$ security essentials until recently when M$ screwed around with it.

What AV's do now, is scan for infected files that have trojans installed in them. Trojans, although some will argue can be harmful, are nothing more then people trying to use your computer to steal your information, like Logins, bank info etc

I see, so it's a theory more than a specific occurrence of a trojan horse that was caused by Kaspersky. That's different. You still have to prove it. Proof means something to me along the lines of that the symptoms described by Vera are known by "X" name. This "X" name Trojan is known to be caused by Kaspersky and this is how the Trojan manifests itself. Now if this is the case, then Kaspersky will be out of business soon. Yes?

My advice to Vera would be to take her computer (particularly since it's a relatively new laptop) to an experienced technician who can completely get rid of the virus/trojan for her. Pay a few bucks for something that is going to make a world's difference. I did that many years ago. Although I can Google Trojans and Viruses, you need someone who is experienced in dealing with this. The plus after was that this technician also got rid of all of the junk that was loaded by the manufacturer of my computer so much so that the performance was even better than it was before the Trojan. He also explained to me what he was doing. That was another plus in a learning curve. Hope Vera can find someone as good as that.

 

[strokerace]

Nope, you can't get specific with the name as there is no name. You can't prove it unless its on your computer. Proof means nothing these days as soon as you have proof, there is an excuse why its not.

Also, you missed what was said. Its caused by the Virus itself and not the actual AV program. its hard to explain the mechanics of it. I will just give a brief description. Lets say you have AVG installed on your computer. Now take a virus writer/creator. They will put some code in it to search for the installed AV. Seeing more most use the same structure for searching and scanning. Now, the virus creator knows this, he also know the commands to shut down or bypass detection. By doing so, it can install, change and alters files. Even make it looks like that the file is clean from the installed AV.

Yes, it hard to explain and to show. If you are on some hacking sights, it would help understand it more. Yes, I could post some of the post about it, but that would be violating the terms of the site. I can give the url for these sites if you PM me.

Now for the cleaning. M$ security essentials/windows defender will work as that is what most computer shops use to clean computers now. I think a good program to use is Knoppixs. Its a live cd that has a virus scanner on it. Its also another tool computer shops use.

 

[strokerace]

The virus is from Kaspersky. Download microsoft security essentials. It will fix all your problems

Can you give more info strokerace. Is it possible to provide more info about this specific virus from Kaspersky and maybe a link?

Here I found this video. It may help explain some things about AV. Not exactly what I have explained. But will show how useless AV is and what is happening now.

 

[jbjenterprises]

I did not know that Windows 10 had a reset option. That is very interesting. I guess it is built into the operating system because Windows 10 is supposed to be the same system on mobile devices. It is necessary on mobile devices to have a reset switch. How does one access this reset switch?

 

[Snowflake]

^ Just use the search button in your pc, and write refresh or reset and it will come up. That's what I did.

I went to a computers store and they said my computer wasn't infected anymore. They run some malware softwares and it was all good.

 

[Genesis]

Great to hear about your computer Vera. By the way, am curious. How did your Windows Essentials anti-malware got disabled? Is there a reason why one would disable it?

Also, when you got it tested at the computer store. Did they say what the virus/trojan was?

 

[Genesis]

Topic has been resolved. Thread closed to prevent spam.