Reinstalling Windows Problems

The second problem concerns one of my banking institutions. Every time I try to log-on, I'm told the bank needs to send me a security code via email to do so, even though I check the box for the site to remember me.

Hi, normally the ability to recall part of the login information is just a convenience, and should never apply to all the stages of logging in to key sites. Something non-critcal like tenforums is a different matter. Such data is retained in cookies- you would never want logging in to a financial site to be automatic.

Security challenges like that can arise for different reasons. Some banks may set a cookie (a different one to the one for login data as above, and a specific and different option) such that the device is deemed 'trusted' - i.e. one which is approved by the user as one used for logging in. That, of course, is a feeble approach as cookies are readily removed- indeed if you have a problem with a bank site, the first thing they may suggest is to clear cache and cookies. Some banks are introducing trusted devices through cookies, moving to a more robust method later (hopefully!).

I'd suggest you contact your bank to try to understand the basis on which you are challenged. In the UK, this is soon to become routine, unless you approve your device as 'trusted'.

One possibility is the cookie is being cleared routinely.

First, what browser do you use? Have you tried other browsers?
Are you using any kind of browser add-ons? If so, what ones re you using?
What is the exact make and full model number of your computer?

When you reinstall Windows 10, do you do a clean install? By that I mean do you delete all partitions and install to a blank, unallocated, unformatted drive? Maybe do one more install, following Brinks tutorial here: Clean Install Windows 10

What anti-virus software do you use? If anything other than Windows Security (previously called Windows Defender), uninstall it completely, using the uninstall tool they provide and run with the built in Windows Security.

I've asked a couple of times when this is to start - supposedly this month- but as is the way, no one seems to know. Of the more informed i've asked, confirmation of internet banking logon by 2 factor is intended (by the banks I've asked and deal with) to be one off, and not if your device is regarded as 'trusted'. However, that policy may differ from bank to bank. Most still have a comment on their site that this is 'changing soon'. I've not experienced it yet.

Bear in mind that this summer, when setting up a new payee, it was planned that you would get some form of confirmation of who you were paying (from the sort code and account number) - presently this is fragile with no redundancy as the name is not checked 'for reference'. This was discarded and there is no timescale now, leaving customers vulnerable.

One difficulty in this change is the sheer number of banks involved- the new challenger banks e.g. That does not apply to issues of logging on, however.

dalchina said:

I've asked a couple of times when this is to start - supposedly this month- but as is the way, no one seems to know. Of the more informed i've asked, confirmation of internet banking logon by 2 factor is intended (by the banks I've asked and deal with) to be one off, and not if your device is regarded as 'trusted'. However, that policy may differ from bank to bank. Most still have a comment on their site that this is 'changing soon'. I've not experienced it yet.

I don't think it's banking policy, or is operated according to whether your device is trusted. According to this email sent to me a couple of hours ago by my bank when I asked them about this matter, they said it was down to recently introduced banking regulations in the UK. So it seems that this new procedure of Two Factor Authentication is mandatory.

It's mandatory, but precisely when a paticular bank introduces it seems a different matter.

And I have bank accounts and conversations that confirm that it will not be on every login attempt that I would be challenged.

Further, the prompts to set my device as trusted would be meaningless if they had no significance, and having done that I was still challenged every time.

In fact 'strong customer authentication' has been delayed:
Are you ready for Strong Customer Authentication?

Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) applies when a customer:

• Logs on to their online payment account
• makes an electronic payment online
• carries out another potentially high-risk transaction online, like changing their telephone number

The original deadline for implementing Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) was 14 September 2019. However, following the recent announcement from the European Banking Authority (EBA), which set out that more time was needed to implement SCA, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has agreed an 18 month phased roll-out plan to move the UK to full compliance. This page will be updated once new timelines are confirmed.