I recently downloaded a game online (totally legal, don't worry!) and ended up with a Wacatac Trojan on my Windows computer. I've tried installing antivirus programs like TotalAV and Kaspersky to clean it up, but I'm still seeing some weird behaviors. For instance, a command prompt window flashes on startup, and when I try to check Windows Defender notifications after doing a scan, it says my "IT-technician has disabled it"—but I don't have any IT support! I even went through a reinstallation of Windows, resetting my PC, but those issues are still persisting. Any advice? I caught a glimpse of the command prompt and it mentioned commands for squirrel.exe, but I'm not sure how to proceed.
2 Answers
Before reinstalling Windows, it’s crucial to wipe everything off your hard drive properly. Did you do that or just reset it? Keeping personal files can sometimes let the malware stick around. If you just reset without fully formatting, that could be part of the problem.
Sometimes it's best to just get a new hard drive, especially if the original one was only reset. If you haven’t fully formatted the infected hard drive, the old files might still be lurking around. Did you try downloading a proper Windows ISO for a clean install? Might be easier than dealing with a partially reset system anyway!
Yeah, the recovery process with my system being in Swedish made it pretty confusing. I wish I could find clearer instructions!
I kept my personal files intact when I reset. I thought that would help, but now I regret that choice.