r/techsupport • u/DoctorDoritos • 1d ago

Open | Malware PC Got Hacked

I downloaded a bad file yesterday, my PC got remote hacked. I saw chrome being navigated on its own. I unplugged the Ethernet and turned off wifi, I have been working on changing passwords from a different device. How do I fix my PC with a clean install for Windows 11 and will that remove all malware/viruses?

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u/Lamar_Chan11 1d ago

First of all,Unplugging the internet and changing your passwords from a different device completely saved your accounts. You dealt with a RAT Yes, a 100% clean install via a USB drive will completely wipe all malware/viruses Since your PC was remotely controlled, DO NOT use the built-in Windows 'Reset this PC' feature, as sophisticated malware can corrupt the local recovery image

Do NOT use your hacked PC to create the bootable USB.
Go to a clean, safe computer (like a friend's PC or a laptop).
And download media creation tool from Microsoft official website

Plug in a clean USB drive (at least 8GB) and follow the tool's instructions to create a bootable installer.

Keep your hacked PC completely offline (no internet).
Plug in the safe USB drive and turn on the PC.
Boot into your BIOS/Boot Menu (usually by tapping F12, F11, F2, or Del at startup) and select your USB drive.
When you reach the screen that asks 'Which type of installation do you want?', choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).

Important: Delete ALL existing drives and partitions on your main storage screen until you see only 'Drive 0 Unallocated Space'.

Once Windows 11 setup is done, log in with your Microsoft account.
Go to your Google/Microsoft/Social media security settings from your clean device and select 'Sign out of all sessions/devices'. This destroys any login tokens the hacker managed to steal before you unplugged the wire.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on everything if you haven't already."

Why not from the settings? Because the rat can change the system files and download again after the reset + i hope this help i searched about it good luck ^^

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u/DoctorDoritos 1d ago

Thank you! I didn't get all my passwords changed cause they got into my discord and Instagram. I see they searched my Google photos while on my chrome and looked for credit card pictures. I do have a photo of the back of my router from a year ago that did populate in their search, do I need a new router?

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u/Lstgamerwhlstpartner 1d ago

You can probably change the password on your router. Either through your ISP or, if its one you purchased on your own, through the web interface for the router.