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01-26-2015 06:04 PM
I am working on another computer at the moment, as my pavillion is locked up. I had a call from supposed Microsoft tech and they wanted money for fixing the hackers on my computer. I ended up cosing it down on them but too late for me. They had froze up my computer and now it needs a password that I don't have to open it back up. Can it be fixed? How? Thank you in advance for any help.
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Accepted Solutions
02-03-2015 08:52 AM
David's suggestion given in Reo's link was a good one. It applies in your Windows 8.1 also, but I suggest you use System Refresh option from Recovery console so that most of the files and settings are preserved after repair install & you'll be starting Windows as new.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26095-repair-install-windows-8-a.html
But I see that you used the built in Recovery partition in the HDD to restore to factory settings. You could have gone in for System Refresh initially as a try here too. Anyway, Glad it started working for you!
Thank you for letting us know 🙂
Kind regards
Visruth
01-26-2015 09:55 PM
By now , hope you are aware that the call you got supposedly from "Microsoft" is not the real Microsoft, but unscrupulous hackers.
Did you happen to create Recovery discs/USB after you setup your laptop? If so you have the option to do system reset other than which I don't think anything else would work, if you're not able to access the system. You could order recovery USB from HP also if you don't have one.
Regards
Visruth
02-03-2015 05:53 AM
Whoever it was that sent me the startup password for my computer thank you very much. It helped me get it loading then I pushed f2 repeatedly for a bit as a friend told me too and it kicked into repair mode, then I was able to do a whole system recovery and got this lap top back on line. Thank you again! And yes I realize that I was scamed, my niece was also. She had to put a new hard drive in her computer according to DIT.
02-03-2015 08:03 AM - edited 02-03-2015 08:18 AM
Just to let everyone know about this scam.
It is also called SYSKEY.
DavidPK has solved this for others.
REO
02-03-2015 08:52 AM
David's suggestion given in Reo's link was a good one. It applies in your Windows 8.1 also, but I suggest you use System Refresh option from Recovery console so that most of the files and settings are preserved after repair install & you'll be starting Windows as new.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26095-repair-install-windows-8-a.html
But I see that you used the built in Recovery partition in the HDD to restore to factory settings. You could have gone in for System Refresh initially as a try here too. Anyway, Glad it started working for you!
Thank you for letting us know 🙂
Kind regards
Visruth
02-03-2015 09:06 AM
I have got my laptop running again without having recovery discs, but I'm also making right now on that laptop recovery discs for it. Someone on here send the startup password to me and between it and while it was booting up hitting the f2 key repeatedly I got onto automatic repair and such and got the harddrive gone thru to make sure it was okay and all. Then I did a full system recovery. Just had to put everything back in, even though I lost all my pictures that weren't backed up. Thanks for your imput. Much appreciated.
02-03-2015 09:40 AM
You're welcome!
Good news that you're creating the recovery media now. I suggest you make a Recovery USB set instead of Discs as they'll be durable and reliable in the long run.
I don't know which start up password worked for you because if it was really a SYSKEY hack you were pushed into in the first place, then none of the passwords we give will work & only the Recovery will get you back to your laptop in working condition.
Visruth
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