I've been hacked and am no longer the administrator of my own lapop! How do I become admin again?

[annabelarella]

Help! Since I was hacked in spite of having Mcaffee I have lost my rights to admin.  How do I get them back please?  I have managed to delete at least 1000 bugs but fear there is still a hacker on board .  Left me a a trojan!  Its supposed to have gone but still having problems.  Any advice truly welcome.  Many thanks.

[Jeet_singh]

@annabelarella,

Thank you for showing your interest in HP Support Forums. It is a great place to find the help you need, from other users, HP experts, and other support personnel. I see from your post that you are having issues related to HP notebook. Don't worry we'll work together to help you find a solution.

To provide you with an accurate solution, I'll need a few more details:

Could you provide me with the exact model of the PC? Use this link to find it:  https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c03754824  (Ensure you do not share any of your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc...).

Have you tried to run a complete scan on your PC?

Have you created a set of recovery media for your PC? 

In the meantime, let's try these steps here: 

Perform a Hard reset on the notebook: A power reset (or hard restart) clears all information from the computer's memory without erasing any personal data. Performing a power reset might fix conditions such as Windows not responding, a blank display, software freezing, keyboard stops responding, or other external devices locking up.

Next thing,  I would suggest here is to run a complete scan on your PC and check if that helps.

If the computer is infected by virus, then the only solution would be to perform a system recovery using the recovery media. So, If you have created a set of recovery media soon after purchase, you can go ahead and use it to reinstall the OS. 

You can check if the recovery media is available online on www.hp.com/drivers by entering the exact model no. of your laptop. To find the exact model no. click here: http://hp.care/2bygf7l

HP PCs - How to Reset Your Computer to Factory Settings (Windows 10, 8, 7)

Here's what you need to know about obtaining a recovery media for yourself: HP PCs - Obtaining HP Recovery Discs or an HP USB Recovery Drive

Otherwise, I will share you a private message with details. Please watch your inbox for more information.

Let me know if this helps!

Have a great day ahead! 🙂

If I have helped you resolve the issue, feel free to give me a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below,

Followed by clicking on "Accept as Solution" from the drop-down menu on the upper right corner.

[annabelarella]

Hi,

I have read all about hard reset and i will lose all my data so it's not an option!  The message I get when I click on windows defender is "your windows defender is being controlled by our organisation"  Could that be the Malware package I have installed on my laptop??

Kind regards,

Annabel.

[WAWood]

@annabelarella

I know it sounds severe -- but the advice that @Jeet_singh gave you regarding a hard reset is really the only good option -- as there is now way for you (or that matter, us) to determine what specifically the "hacker" loaded onto your PC in terms of malware.

Even if you think you have removed it all, there are ways to "hide" stuff so it is still there -- only to re-emerge at a later date.

The only SAFE solution is to erase everything and start over with a clean slate.

[annabelarella]

Sadly you are right.  The hacker has been back and I've just run antimalware.  It's removed more trojans.  Scarey stuff.  Sadly I have no Disk larger enough to save all my stuff - Can't find my restore disc anywhere so am going tohave to buy one with at least 3 terrabites of space!! Expensive days! 

Thank you so much for your reply.

[mdklassen]

How old is the computer?

If it is more than 3 years old, the warranty on the disk-drive has expired.

Is it a desktop or a laptop system?

So, an option for you is:

* physically remove the current disk-drive;

* purchase a brand-new disk-drive, of the same physical dimensions, and the same (or larger) storage capacity;

* physically connect the new disk-drive;

* install Windows onto it;

* run Windows Update, until its completely updated;

* install some anti-virus software, if you do not trust the built-in "Windows Defender" anti-virus software;

* temporarily connect the old disk-drive as a "secondary" disk-drive;

* copy all your Personal Files from "old" to "new".  Note that the anti-virus software will scan every file that you try to copy.

* disconnect the old disk-drive;

* reinstall any application software (Office? Adobe Reader? Audacity? The GIMP? printer software?);

* use the "fresh" installation of Windows for a week;

* once you are convinced that you have copied "everything" from the old disk-drive, you can temporarily reconnect it to your computer, as a "secondary" disk-drive, and then "wipe" the entire disk-drive.

The result will be a fresh copy of Windows, loaded onto an "in-warranty" disk-drive, with no malware.

If you want, you can purchase an "empty" external backup enclosure, and mount the old disk-drive into it, and thus "repurpose" this "wiped" disk-drive as your "external backup" device.

Example: StarTech.com 2.5in USB 3.0 External SATA III SSD / HDD Hard Drive Enclosure

This unit holds a "laptop" (2.5-inches wide) disk-drive.

There are similar units that hold "desktop" (3.5-inches wide) disk-drives.

[WillianS]

The hacking now a day becomes a trend. You have also heard about Ransomware where the hacker demands some value in the Bitcoin to free your data. In your case, I think the suggestion given by Mdklassen is perfect. Try to transfer all your data from your hacked drive to a new drive and wipe all the data from the old one.

Good Luck!

[annabelarella]

No I think I will go for the factory reset now that I have a 1TB usb stick!!!

Thanks anyway.