Laptop Locked From Hacker

[Alinator]

We got a call from these people claiming to be microsoft and long story short, they were lying. They put some setup password thing on my laptop and I can't get into it at all. I turn it on and it asks for the setup password and I have no idea what these ers put it as. Please help. I've been trying to search up everything and nothing is working. I have windows 10, HP laptop. I don't know if that helps. There is literally nothing else on the screen, when I turn it on, other than it asking for the password. I've lost all hope.

[happyfrank]

The best thing to do is contact the police. It's important to file report because what they did was a crime.

Maybe cyber crime division will be able to help.

[RainyCoast]

i'm so sorry. i fear this happening since i have contracted a back-door trojan i am unable to rid myself of entirely.

 

does it work in safe mode?

 

what software have you tried running?

 

Scoe recommended i run spybot on mine and it has helped a lot.

 

does your software tell you the path this process uses?

 

Zemana and Rouge Killer have rid me of some nasty stuff.

 

if all else fails, how about reloading windows entirely? if you're not a scatterbrain like me, you should still have a backup cd lying around somewhere.

 

have you looked for a restoration point you could reset to, from before you received the call?

 

if you still have the number, please report these people.

 

this cyber fraud stuff is horrible. I feel for you.

 

Hope you can resolve it somehow.

 

keep us updated.

[RainyCoast]

some tips here, but it sounds like something you'd want to have a knowledgeable person do.

 

 

 

did you use online banking? if so, call the bank right now.

[Scoe141]

Coast has some great tips that I'd follow. I would normally agree with Frank, but chances are the hackers are probably overseas and out of the jurisdiction of your local law enforcement agency.

 

That said, I'd disconnect the laptop from any outlet, LAN line and remove any USB devices. I bring any removable hardware to a computer shop and ask them run a scan on it. (i.e. USB jump drives, external hard drives etc.)

 

If you have your original CD's then you can do a clean install and be free of the hackers. Unless you bring it to a shop or do a clean install there are limited options.

 

I'd change the password of your router and inform any family members or persons living in your house, apt. etc. Any relevant banking and or credit card agencies should also be notified.

 

Good luck.

[avman]

Sorry this happened to you. Depending on how sophisticated the hackers are you may or may not be able to recover the hard drive data.

 

Try booting from the original Windows CD and not from your hard drive. From there try doing a Windows Repair. That may erase enough of what they did to let you boot up without destroying your data.

 

If that doesn't work take it to a recovery specialist shop to see if they can bypass the program they installed. Lets hope they didn't actually encrypt your hard drive. If they did that then it's probably toast.

[j.man]

Call your laptop manufacturer. "They put a password on the setup" sounds like they put a password on your BIOS. If so, you might have to open your laptop up and short the CMOS (or go somewhere to have it done). Again, call to make sure.

 

If you're 16, it sounds like it'd be more your parents' problem than yours, but as RainyCoast suggested, they should cover all their bases if they've worked with or stored any sort of sensitive information on that computer.

 

Was this your parents who listened to these "Microsoft" people? If so, I'd wait until I was 18 and out of the house before I even stored a Minesweeper high score on your computer. I'd give you a pass for being young, but if it was them, they're a Nigerian prince's wet dream.

[Alinator]

oh man i dont even know how to do any of that... i also dont know how to go in safe mode so i dont know if that works or not. Theres like nothing i can press.

[Alinator]

Im guessing that will cost money,,, how much?

[Alinator]

How do i do that?

[RainyCoast]

in windows 10, i'm not sure how you would enter safe mode if all you get is the little user icon asking for a password. you don't even see the start icon then.

 

i had no idea they could put passwords on your bios/ encrypt hard drives/ whatever that nightmare speak is

 

have you tried inserting the windows cd like avman suggested to see if it prompts you to boot then?

 

/

 

 

some ppl on this HP site have fixed it apparently, i think the original poster is saying they fixed it without any recovery media, by restoring to factory settings( i'm not sure how though, since one would have to sign in as admin):

 

i really think you should ask someone for help with that. i wonder if, even with a clean installation of windows, you could be sure it's safe.

[RainyCoast]

Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10

 

 

Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. It can help you troubleshoot problems on your PC. For example, if the problem doesn't happen in safe mode, you'll know default settings and basic device drivers aren't causing the issue.

 

There are two versions of safe mode: Safe Mode and Safe Mode with Networking. They're quite similar, but Safe Mode with Networking includes the network drivers and services you'll need to access the Internet and other computers on your network.

 

The following sections describe how to start your PC in safe mode.

 

From Settings

 

Press Windows logo key Windows logo key + I on your keyboard to open Settings. If that doesn't work, select the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen, then select Settings .

Select Update & security > Recovery .

Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.

After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

After your PC restarts, you'll see a list of options. Select 4 or F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode. Or if you'll need to use the Internet, select 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

 

From the sign-in screen

 

Restart your PC. When you get to the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key down while you select Power Power icon

 

> Restart.

After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

After your PC restarts, you'll see a list of options. Select 4 or F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode. Or if you'll need to use the Internet, select 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.