I'm hacked I think

odetowatch13 said:

Next to the time in my taskbar is the word hacked. I am a novice and don't know where to start to find out how this got there. It was appearing every now and then , but is now there all the time. I'm assuming I should be concerned about this. I ran SuperAntispyware and found nothing.

Welcome to TenForums odetowatch13


Do you have 'friends' who had access to this PC and are fond of practical jokes? It's easy to edit the registry and replace the AM or PM text that should be shown there with any text you want. Here I have 'hacked' my own PC





This of course isn't anything that any AV would see as an infection, so if this is the case it would be difficult to find. The relevant key to look at is:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International

The AM and PM text strings are held in s1159 and s2359. If this was a 'joke' someone played on you, then you can easily change the text back to AM/PM using Regedit.

ThrashZone said:

Hi, Win-10 is impossible to hack I've read with the awesome windows defender features so that is fake news.

I beg to differ on that point, lol.

Looks like a practical joke, though.

Nevertheless, I would run the latest version of MBAM just to see.
Ensure that "Check for Rootkits" is checked before running a comprehensive scan.

FWIW.

Bree said:

Yes, a practical joke looks the most likely explanation, but a full check is always worthwhile, just in case it isn't.

You cannot just depend on WD. Security must be implemented in layers. Who knows if the system has been previously compromised.
Worst case - a full wipe and reload, with MBAM and a couple of other security tools.

Strictly, IMHO.

If more of these "jokes" show up, suggest an In-Place Repair to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

You won't lose anything, except the "gotchas".

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Bree said:

Yes, a practical joke looks the most likely explanation, but a full check is always worthwhile, just in case it isn't.


The worrying thing is what (if any) other 'jokes' may have been perpetrated.

I'd recommend changing the account password, and if that doesn't stop it - then change your 'friends'

But passwords are so Windows XP. You can even change that in Regional settings. You have to love some of the pranks out there. RJLPranks.com

Here is the prank that was used. Stupid Geek Tricks: Show Your Name In the System Clock

f14tomcat said:

If more of these "jokes" show up, suggest an In-Place Repair to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
You won't lose anything, except the "gotchas".

Dick - If it's some type of malware that can't be completely cleaned, I wouldn't recommend it.

Malware can hide in many places that the In-place might not overwrite.

FWIW.