Windows 10 Reformat vs Reset after Unable to Remove Trojan

[amf514]

My PC is infected with a Trojan that NOD32 can not cleaned. Before Windows 10 I would just go ahead and reformat. However, since WIN10 have the reset option (keep my files but reinstall all Windows files) I was wondering if I should just go this route.

 

[pnamajck]

nod32 antivirus … are you referring to nod32-antivirus product that eset markets?

1. is your version of win-10 oem (did it come with the computer) … or did you upgrade from earlier windows version?
2. how long have you been using eset's nod32 av?
3. are you currently still utilizing their 30-day free trial … or is your version already paid?
   
4. when did the av first notify you?
5. could it be false positive?
6. what are some of the actions you have done to quarantine/remove the infection?
   
7. do you have any additional security programs that substantiate the trojan infection?

amf514, you realize eset has forums to help it's consumer base?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus - ESET Security Forum

also, assuming eset has detected a bonafide threat … have you studied this:
Link Removed

personally, i have never come across a threat that cannot be safely removed. however, amf514 … if you are determined to reset/reformat your computer … someone else will come along to offer their advice.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi amf514,
I'd like to add a couple of things here:

1.) The very first thing you should do PRIOR to scanning for viruses and attempting to remove them, is that YOU NEED TO MAKE A BACKUP OF ALL THE PERSONAL DATA THAT YOU HAVE ON THAT COMPUTER TO EXTERNAL MEDIA FIRST!! Removing viruses can and does corrupt or remove files from your computer's hard drive, and if you don't have a good backup of your personal information, the act of removal often triggers a "deadly payload" that many viruses have today, especially spyware or ransomware viruses, and that payload either removes your windows files, including your system and personal files, or it encrypts and locks them and the only way to unlock them in most cases is to pay the hacker who wrote the virus from $250 - $2,500 US with a moneypak prepaid cash card to get your stuff unlocked. You can take this to a Computer Pro in your area, and they can remove it for you, but it's still gonna cost you money; $35-$195 in the US is typical for this service.
2.) Now that I got the Giant Red warning out of the way, the next thing we'd like you to do is take a picture of the virus message or antivirus notification window that pops up on your computer screen with a Smartphone that has a camera; E-mail to yourself and upload it back to this thread so we can see exactly what the name of the Trojan is. We can then advise you. If it's a particularly nasty one, we may refer you over to our VIRUS/MALWARE REMOVAL forum here on WF; where we have experts available to help walk you through the scanning/detection/removal process safely. Remember that about 80% of my Clients who attempt to remove viruses from their computers do it wrong, and often suffer irretrievable data loss or have to go through very very expensive data recovery to get their stuff back, and even then it's never 100%!

Some important things to think about going forward.
Have a Great Weekend!

<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>

 

[Age]

What malware removal are you using if none I would get something Malwarebytes/SuperAntispyware.I would use Avast instead of Nod32

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

I'd agree that Avast is better than Nod32; but we have other forum members here who swear by it, so the argument becomes moot if the OP has a nasty virus that Avast or MBAM can't identify or remove. This is why I asked OP to take a picture of the Virus-Trojan message on his computer and post it back. If we can't make sense of it, then he needs to go to over to the VIRUS/MALWARE forum here as I suggested, since he could have contracted a Day-Zero attack type virus, which Avast free won't find, and neither will MBAM. Many Day-Zero attack viruses use Rootkit or Bootkit morphology vectors, and neither Avast, MBAM, or Nod32 can detect or do any kind of removal or disinfection on these. You need special software installed which we can happily recommend after we have more specific information on exactly what kind of virus he's got. In fact, it might not even be an actual Trojan virus; as many people misuse that term. Even if the author of the virus calls it a Trojan on a popup window, doesn't mean it's necessarily a virus of that category; only it's actions and payload can determine that.

BBJ

 

[Verki]

So...why don't you try to use the Diskpart to format it? In Windows 10, you can open the Diskpart by pressing "WIN+R", and typing "cmd", then hit "Enter" to open the commend line prompt to do it.

 

[Neemobeer]

If it's a Trojan, you should be able to boot into safe mode and simply delete enough of it to disable it and then your AV should be able to clean up the rest.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Have you tried running Malwarebytes?
I've found very little that it won't remove in the way of malware.
You can run it from safe mode if you can get there.

And, when you get it fixed make a System Image file of your C:\ drive.

You could be back up and running in a half hour with everything back to normal.

I use EaseUS Todo backup (free version) but you can use whatever you want, but do it.

Mike