Ransomware Daughters Computer

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  1. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #11

    msny said:
    I did have it checked for rootkits, still missed it.
    Ran it 3x.
    Wow. Glad you got TDSSKiller on the job then! :)
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #12

    simrick said:
    Mmmm....no. Actually, any infection that holds your computer hostage is a type of ransomware. Some encrypt while others don't. One ransomware sets the Windows System password which prevents you from booting into your operating system. That is also a type of ransomware. So, yes, the OP did indeed have a type of ransomware, holding his computer system hostage until he called the number to have it "fixed".
    No, Ransomware requires... a ransom. Setting your computers system password isn't ransomware because there is no way to know how to get the new password. It's not being held for a ransom (payment). It's just preventing access and being malicious.

    If something sets your bios password, how exactly would you know who to contact to try to pay said ransom?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 172
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #13

    Mystere said:
    No, Ransomware requires... a ransom. Setting your computers system password isn't ransomware because there is no way to know how to get the new password. It's not being held for a ransom (payment). It's just preventing access and being malicious.

    If something sets your bios password, how exactly would you know who to contact to try to pay said ransom?

    Your both right!
    It was ransom-ware as it always redirected any web page to a phone number to pay for a fix.
    It was malware because it infected the computer with numerous ads on top of that. It kept
    setting the computer clock back, so that virus software and apps stopped working.

    It was a hybrid of some sort.
    I should have wrote down it's name, but I was anxious to get rid of it.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #14

    msny said:
    Your both right!
    It was ransom-ware as it always redirected any web page to a phone number to pay for a fix.
    It was malware because it infected the computer with numerous ads on top of that. It kept
    setting the computer clock back, so that virus software and apps stopped working.

    It was a hybrid of some sort.
    I should have wrote down it's name, but I was anxious to get rid of it.
    No, the web page has been talked about many times on this forum. It's not a virus or malware at all. It doesn't install anything on your computer. It's just a page that uses tricks of javascript in combination with auto-opening the same page if you close the browser. It doesn't actually infect your computer with anything.

    It's not fun, but you can get rid of it by just disabling your internet connection, killing the browser, and re-opening it (with internet still disabled), then closing the tab again. It's strictly a tricky browser page. That's it.

    It sounds like you also had other malware though, in addition to that problem. That malware might have been on the computer for a long time without being noticed. You just found it because the tricky page prompted you to scan for malware.

    Regardless, Ransomware is very specific. It encrypts your data, and then demands payment to get that data back. Pretending to be Microsoft isn't ransomware.

    This may seem like an argument of semantics, but it's not. Ransomware is a huge risk compared to most normal malware. It's so dangerous, and so common, that it's gravely important to distinguish it from malware that can be easily fixed.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #15

    Mystere said:
    ..[snip]...Regardless, Ransomware is very specific. It encrypts your data, and then demands payment to get that data back. Pretending to be Microsoft isn't ransomware.

    This may seem like an argument of semantics, but it's not. Ransomware is a huge risk compared to most normal malware. It's so dangerous, and so common, that it's gravely important to distinguish it from malware that can be easily fixed.
    ran·som·ware
    ˈransəmˌwe(ə)r/
    noun
    noun: ransomware; noun: ransom-ware
    a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.


    Matters not whether it encrypts.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 172
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #16

    Regardless, I thank you all for the help and getting it done!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1
    windows 7
       #17

    ive had to fix ransomware twice now on girlfriends computer, and what i have found to be a qick fix is providing
    your computer has built in recovery, stored on a hidden drive. You can find this out when using diskpart

    use F8 to access command prompt .use diskpart to quick format c: . This removes the lock on drive, and wipes all the data.
    restart computer and via f8 , you can now use reset my computer options to get your computer back

    hope that helps,
      My Computer


 

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