Hacking

[Emi99]

Hey!  Its my first time here. 

My query is: Why did my mobile telephone number appear in my Microsoft start search bar when I started to type? 

I'm  concerned as I have been hacked by someone I know who is very advanced in the hacking arena!   I have since done a factory reset on the P.C, changed my BT hub and changed my email addresses and mobile number which is now a  burner phone!   

Any Ideas? How to spot if I am still being hacked somehow on the operating system  that I am using despite all I have done to prevent it.

Huge Thanks 

[WAWood]

Modern malware is very good at hiding itself from the best antivirus products.  So, if you suspect malware on your laptop, the ONLY safe solution is to do the following:

1) Use special software to WIPE the drive.  Factory Reset only REFORMATS the drive and while that hides the files from Windows, it does not actually remove them.  With malware, you need the drive to be cleaned out of ALL data.

2) Reinstall Windows from scratch onto the laptop.  HP makes a Cloud Recovery tool available for you to download and create a 32GB Installatio USB stick.

3) If you are using Wifi to connect your laptop to the Internet, go into your Router and change the settings to specially ALLOW only certain devices.  This will prevent anyone from breaking into your network with an unknown device.