I just started up my PC after four years of it sitting idle and ran into a problem. I thought I remembered my password and tried entering it, but it didn't work. Oddly enough, the lock screen shows an email address: "[email protected]". When I click on the 'forgot password' option, it prompts me to send a recovery code to that email, which I don't recognize at all. I'm concerned this might be a sign my PC was hacked. Given that this PC has been offline for years, it's confusing why I'm facing these issues now. The last time I used it, there were no problems, although I used it to download torrents back then, so I'm wary of possible past infections. I want to figure out what's going on before I connect to WiFi and interact with this unknown email.
5 Answers
I'd advise against sending codes to an email you don’t own. It’s safer to just reinstall Windows using a USB installer. You won’t want to risk anything here.
Have you considered that you might have set it up with a fake email in the past? Maybe to bypass some online requirements? If that’s the case, wiping the system and starting fresh might be your best bet.
This is definitely an odd situation. Wiping it clean and starting fresh seems like the best solution. Good luck!
Why not just factory reset it from the advanced startup options? A quick Google search can guide you through that.
Considering it was stored without being connected to anything, it’s unlikely to have caught an infection. If it was infected before storage, that could explain it showing up now. A fresh install is the safest route; you may not even need a license key if it’s stored in the TPM.
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