XP holding me to ransome

Some of this ransomeware actually encrpyts your files, so that they can't be recovered by booting into Linux.

Back up your media and do a full format + fresh instal of windows whatever. If its an old machine stick to winxp, if newer go for win7.

And stop browsing thai-ladyboy ProN

[L3nny]

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

And if you do that there is a good chance that you will just re-infect your Windows7 install from the XP one...

Every file on your old installation HAS to be regarded as suspect.

Fortunately the files you will most likely want to keep will be pictures/music/movies and so less likely to have been infected, but even so, should be checked out before you try to run them.

Yer, probably should have said that too. Although as the files are stored in a Windows.old folder it is unlikley the Ransomware will be active unless it it "re-installed" from the infected files. This was probably done by installing a dodgy program and in order to do this on Windows 7 it would need to get around the user account control.

It it was a business computer with sensitive date on I wouldn't reccomend leaving the infected installation on there but if it was my PC I'd risk it.

Obviously it is the OPs own choice the weigh the risks up.

I should state however I have had no actual experience with this type of virus so there is a chance I am talking complete crap.

[Stingo]

I had that last year - took the PC to the menders who charged me 40 quid. (Or was it 35?...not sure now.) But then the menders are only next door to me.

[L3nny]

Originally Posted by Stingo

I had that last year - took the PC to the menders who charged me 40 quid. (Or was it 35?...not sure now.) But then the menders are only next door to me.

Did they re-install Windows or just remove the virus?

I had this very same one yesterday, rang my daughter who is an It specialist. She had it as well, she came over, started comp up in safe made, downloaded malwarebyte, scanned and removed the pesky virus and comp was fixed, apparently loads of computers are getting it. Its a clever virus and most people panic and hand over their money.

Daryl.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by L3nny

Yer, probably should have said that too. Although as the files are stored in a Windows.old folder it is unlikley the Ransomware will be active unless it it "re-installed" from the infected files. This was probably done by installing a dodgy program and in order to do this on Windows 7 it would need to get around the user account control.

It it was a business computer with sensitive date on I wouldn't reccomend leaving the infected installation on there but if it was my PC I'd risk it.

Obviously it is the OPs own choice the weigh the risks up.

I should state however I have had no actual experience with this type of virus so there is a chance I am talking complete crap.

The danger isn't of cross-infection, as you say, different folder etc.

The danger is the infected files being accessable to the user(s) of the machine who may, some time in the future, go into that folder and the execute an infected file, forgetting the danger...

To start your computer in safe mode switch it on and keep pressing F8, then click on safe mode with networking, start i.explorer or firefox, google malwarebytes.com download it and then run quick scan, worked for our computers. Sorry if this is teaching you how to suck eggs but I didn't know how to start in safe mode.

Daryl.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by darylB

To start your computer in safe mode switch it on and keep pressing F8, then click on safe mode with networking, start i.explorer or firefox, google malwarebytes.com download it and then run quick scan, worked for our computers. Sorry if this is teaching you how to suck eggs but I didn't know how to start in safe mode.

Daryl.

Might work, didn't with the last one of these I had to deal with.

But well worth a try.

[timwilky]

Minimum recommendation from me is to bin the hard drive, you want nothing from it.

Learn a lesson, think about what you need to retain and build a backup strategy about that.