I've accidentally installed a RAT (Remote Access Trojan) on my computer, and it's preventing me from reinstalling Windows. I know the file associated with the RAT, but I can't remove or delete it – even attempts via the command prompt have failed. I've tried resetting my PC through the command prompt and using the Shift key to access the reinstall options, but I can't reach the reinstall Windows page. I'm really stuck and would appreciate any advice on how to fix this issue!
5 Answers
Do you actually need to keep the files on that computer? If not, starting fresh might be the best option. Rats can be really tricky to deal with.
That's a tough situation! By the way, how did you figure out that it was a RAT? Did your antivirus flag it? I'm just wondering since sometimes those programs can't remove them directly.
Just a heads up, rats can be hard to remove completely. You might want to consider getting a new drive and using this one as a secondary drive. Some RATs can hide in the boot sector, and unless you do a low-level format, they can survive a standard OS installation. Good luck!
Why not let Windows Defender handle it? It might be able to do some cleanup if it's configured correctly.
You might want to consider reinstalling Windows using a USB stick. Just make sure to back up any important data first—though definitely do not back up that RAT file! This approach often works better than trying to reset through the usual methods.
Thanks for the tip! I'll look into boot sector issues. I really want to make sure this thing is gone for good.