Solved! My laptop is infected with a virus and I can't do anything

[arjunkshibu]

So today I opened my newly bought laptop and it is just frozen. Somehow I managed to open This PC and found that all files were renamed to .wrui. I had no antivirus softwares installed and when I try to download any antivirus none of the webpages are loading.(When I saw my task bar in a glimpse, there was so many unnamed processes and CPU was at 100%. Somehow I have managed to install AVG but it never opens up. There are two softwares in the desktop named DreamTrip and Lightening Media Player. Is there any solution?



https://www.dell.com/en-in/shop/laptops-2-in-1-pcs/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-5501-laptop (This is my laptop)

 

[rgd1101]

look like you got malware. if you don't have any data. do factory reset and stop downloading stuff from the internet

 

[arjunkshibu]

look like you got malware. if you don't have any data. do factory reset and stop downloading stuff from the internet

Is that the solution?

 

[AlHuneke]

Looks like you've been hit by ransomware. If you have any data files, they are likely no longer accessible without paying the ransom. I would use another computer to go to the Microsoft WIndows web site, find the Windows 10 downloads page and follow the instructions to create a bootable USB install stick. Boot from that and do a complete reinstall. I'm not sure if Windows will authenticate, since the files used to do that may be encrypted by the ransomware also.

I have been running only the built-in Windows antivirus for many years without problems. But be careful about where you browse (although even reputable website can get infected). Never click on any email you don't recognize (especially the ones that look real but claim your account is locked, a package can't be delivered, etc). If you ever get a popup about an infection in your machine, recycle the power and then run the Windows antivirus right away after powering up. Good luck

 

[USAFRet]

So today I opened my newly bought laptop and it is just frozen. Somehow I managed to open This PC and found that all files were renamed to .wrui. I had no antivirus softwares installed and when I try to download any antivirus none of the webpages are loading.(When I saw my task bar in a glimpse, there was so many unnamed processes and CPU was at 100%. Somehow I have managed to install AVG but it never opens up. There are two softwares in the desktop named DreamTrip and Lightening Media Player. Is there any solution?



https://www.dell.com/en-in/shop/laptops-2-in-1-pcs/inspiron-15-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-5501-laptop (This is my laptop)

Ransomware.
Not only does the system not work, your personal files are also gone.

Full wipe and reinstall.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

And in the future...2 things:

1. Have known good backups and know how to recover.
2. Don't download crap from the internet.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm not sure if Windows will authenticate, since the files used to do that may be encrypted by the ransomware also.

A reinstall on this same system will not incur any OS licensing issues.
It will activate itself once it talks to the activation server farm at the mothership.

 

[AlHuneke]

A few details have changed between the referenced (very good) article and how it now works, but if you run into a question, please post. The part about deleting all the partitions is important so you clean off any remains of the virus. You didn't say what brand laptop you had, but you may wish to go to the manufacturers web site after the Windows install and install some the the tools such as a system updater they may offer. I have found both the HP and Dell tools to be helpful in that regard. There is also a lot of junk, but nothing you really need to be cautious about. A particular thing to check is for BIOS updates (even on a "new" laptop). The updater tool should help with that.

 

[arjunkshibu]

Ransomware.
Not only does the system not work, your personal files are also gone.

Full wipe and reinstall.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

And in the future...2 things:

1. Have known good backups and know how to recover.
2. Don't download crap from the internet.

Yeah I had a backup of everything in my PC and an external hdd

 

[AlHuneke]

Make sure you don't connect the external drive except when you are backing up (and doing nothing else on your PC). I alternate two backup drives.