Don't Let This Happen To You

[Jcarlton]

I was stupid. I was working in and another forum and got hit with a dialog box that I couldn't close asking for permission to change the hard drive.  I thought it was the typical adware.  It was worse, much worse.  It was ransomware.

https://theartsmechanical.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/being-held-for-ransom-without-being-kidnapped/

Edited June 10, 2016 by Jcarlton

[velotrain]

And you want us to click on your link . . . . ?

 

When I encounter something I can't close it's time to power off.

[Jcarlton]

First three words, "I was stupid" and two goddam win 8 machine doesn't have a crash power off and the battery is buried inside the laptop. The link is to my blog on wordpress. As safe as any link is.

[velotrain]

I just hit the rocker switch on the power strip, and the link comment wasn't meant seriously.

 

However - I was also suggesting that if I don't know what a link is, I don't open it.  Safe / Sorry.

 

 

Sometimes Task Manager can kill the offending application / window.

[kvp]

The 'safe' keys in any windows are ctrl+alt+delete. This breaks the user context and provides the safe option list or in case of older computers, starts the task manager. If there is an unwanted program running, it's a good idea to use the shut down option from this menu and start the computer with a clean os from an external source and do a virus/malware/rootkit scan from there. (if the disk is not already 100% encrypted by a ransomware)

 

The program manager can also be used to kill off a program that didn't yet install itself and if the logged in user was running under less than administrator rights, the user account could be disabled and the admin account could be used to clean up most non rootkit attackers.

 

Setting the os to reject any non signed programs is also a good idea, as well as using 3rd party system protection tools for older systems. The signed only protection also works under android and keeps out most malware and illegal programs.

 

ps: just my 2 cents...

[Melandir]

First three words, "I was stupid" and two goddam win 8 machine doesn't have a crash power off and the battery is buried inside the laptop. The link is to my blog on wordpress. As safe as any link is.

 

Hold the PC power button for 5 sec and it will power off the machine under any condition

Edited June 10, 2016 by Melandir

[cteno4]

Sorry to hear this happened, always not fun with computer issues, doubly not fun when malware and really of the charts with ransomware! Best of luck in the recovery here.

 

Scanware is such a must these days along with some tiered backup systems.

 

One good bit from this you got me to go fix part of my backup system that I had pulled apart and was being slow to get back together!

 

Jeff

Edited June 10, 2016 by cteno4