Hey everyone, I'm really stressed out right now and need some advice. A few days ago, I got a weird message when shutting down my computer about other users potentially losing progress—even though I'm the only one who uses this PC. Then I noticed my computer was turning itself back on after I put it to sleep. To be safe, I ran scans with Windows Defender. The quick scan and offline scan came back with nothing, but the full scan took an unusually long time—over 13 hours—and that's when it told me I had a Trojan detected: Trojan:Win32/Wacatac.B!ml. I quarantined it, but then panicked and tried to delete it. The program stated it was either eliminated or restored, which made me even more confused.
I found an old .zip file in my downloads that I deleted and emptied from the bin, but I'm worried about the possible damage done. I've run more scans and even checked settings in Windows, but I'm still feeling uneasy. I've also got this yellow warning from OneDrive that's now gone green for some reason. I don't typically go to sketchy sites or download risky stuff, just trusted sources. Recently, I clicked on a link my friend sent which I'm now second-guessing. In the event viewer, there are suspicious login logs appearing rapidly, too. I'm kind of freaking out—I don't have Malwarebytes because I'm scared to download anything. Can anyone help me figure out if I'm safe?
2 Answers
Hey, I totally get your concern about losing everything on your PC. If you’re not sure a full wipe is necessary, I’d recommend backing up your important files to an external drive first. There are some cases where the Trojan detection could be a false positive, especially with newer malware definitions. To check if your security has been compromised, monitor any unusual activity on your online accounts and consider running another reliable anti-malware program just to be sure.
First off, take a deep breath! It's common to feel overwhelmed. If you suspect malware, the safest and most effective route is to wipe your drives and reinstall Windows from a USB stick. This will ensure that all traces of the Trojan are removed. After reinstalling, change the passwords to all your online accounts as a precaution, just in case the malware managed to grab any of them.
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