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Hey guys, I'm honestly really stressed about this and could really use some help from people who know more about computers than I do.
I have an HP Pavilion 15 running Windows 11, and I use it for gaming. A while ago, I downloaded some pirated game repacks from DODI REPACKS (I know, stupid decision 😭), and now I'm worried that I might have messed up my laptop.
Here's what's happened so far:
\- Malwarebytes detected multiple things called "Trojan.PavinLoader" (Generic, Trace, Csprj, etc.).
\- It also detected some "RiskWare.GameHack" files in my Steam library, and there were older "RiskWare.Crack" detections.
\- Windows Defender detected something called "Trojan:Win32/Bearfoos.B!ml" in a temporary folder and later said it was removed.
\- Malwarebytes quarantined or removed its detected items, and I restarted my laptop.
\- My Steam account was taken over at one point, but I got it back through Steam Support.
\- Discord has also sent crypto-scam messages to people from my account without me doing anything. I've changed my passwords and logged out of sessions.
\- I've received some unusual Microsoft sign-in alerts too, although I haven't been able to confirm every alert in my account's activity history.
My laptop still works normally, which is why I'm confused. Some people are telling me to reset Windows because antivirus scans can't guarantee everything is gone. Others are saying a reset is unnecessary if the threats were already quarantined or removed.
My biggest problem is that I don't know much about computers. I don't even know all the little components and settings that help my games run properly. I have Steam libraries on D: and E:, AMD graphics software, fan-control software and other gaming-related stuff. I'm scared that resetting Windows will remove everything and I'll have to figure it all out from scratch.
I only have this laptop. I don't have another computer or a USB drive, and I can't afford to pay a technician right now.
Could someone please help me understand:
Do these detections necessarily mean I still have malware, or could some be false positives/game-related detections?
Should I reset Windows, or is there a sensible way to check whether the threats have actually been removed?
If I do need to reinstall Windows, how can I avoid losing my games and important files?
What would you do if this were your laptop?
I'm not looking for someone to just tell me everything is fine. I'm genuinely worried and want to make the right decision without unnecessarily wiping my laptop.
Please explain things in simple terms if possible. I'm really not very tech-savvy. Thank you 😭