Hey everyone! I'm in a bit of a bind here. I recently stumbled upon a folder on my computer named "run it back" that has personal images and screenshots related to someone and a language I'm unfamiliar with. I mistakenly opened some of the pictures thinking I would get a better look at their face, not realizing that malware could be hidden in images. Since I'm the only one who physically accesses my PC, I'm concerned I might have been hacked.
I attempted to perform a factory reset to ease my mind, but it hasn't worked. I've looked up some troubleshooting methods online, but nothing's helped. Here's what I've tried:
- Using Command Prompt for "sfc /scannow", "dism /online /cleanup-images /RestoreHealth", and "chkdsk /f".
- Attempted to reset through Troubleshooting mode.
For now, I've unplugged the power and Ethernet cables until I can find a way to wipe everything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
4 Answers
When you say the reset process refused, what actually occurs? Like, does it give you an error message when you try to reset it?
First off, if you think there's malware on your PC, it might be worth using Windows Defender to do a thorough scan before jumping to conclusions about being hacked. Sometimes those weird files can just be harmless. Also, to reset your PC, I suggest creating a bootable USB with Windows. You can download the ISO file from another computer and use Rufus to set it up on the USB stick. Then, plug it into your PC and boot from it—this should let you install a fresh copy of Windows without any previous files hanging around.
You can also try downloading the media creation tool from Microsoft directly. It simplifies the process and is super user-friendly!
Instead of worrying that you’ve been hacked, consider what exactly happened when you opened the photo. A hacker usually doesn’t announce themselves like that. If nothing unusual has happened and no unauthorized logins or strange behaviors are present, it might just be coincidental. But definitely run a scan with Windows Defender just to be safe!
Thanks, I’ll plug it back in and try that now!
I tried that too, but unfortunately, it didn’t pick up anything.
Think about it: your computer can only get infected through images if you've been pretty careless with security updates. It hasn't been easy to infect computers through pictures for a long time, so stay calm. Just ensure your security software is up to date once you manage to wipe your system and start fresh.
I actually had to remove McAfee when my subscription ended. I realize now that it left my PC pretty exposed. I regret that decision.
Yeah, when I click to factory reset, it says it’s resetting, but then after a restart, I get a pop-up saying it couldn’t reset, and nothing was deleted.