Ransomware to fresh install

[Neo0152]

hey my parents got ransomware and have decided to do a clean install 

 

they bought there system from costco and i have the product key

 

[Neo0152]

2 minutes ago, Neo0152 said:

hey my parents got ransomware and have decided to do a clean install 

 

they bought there system from costco and i have the product key

 

sorry forgot to finish the question my bad 

 

could i reuse the product key 

[rtpb5642]

download the version of windows the pc came with, its an ISO file, use RUFUS to make a bootable usb out of it. Install and activate with that key

[Jade]

Just now, Neo0152 said:

sorry forgot to finish the question my bad 

 

could i reuse the product key 

Yep, as long as it's the same version/bit of Windows. They've probably got Windows 10 Home 64bit, so as long as you install Windows 10 Home 64bit, that key would work.

[rtpb5642]

1 minute ago, Neo0152 said:

sorry forgot to finish the question my bad 

 

could i reuse the product key 

Yes if the windows version you install is the same

[Neo0152]

3 minutes ago, rtpb5642 said:

Yes if the windows version you install is the same

 

4 minutes ago, Jade said:

Yep, as long as it's the same version/bit of Windows. They've probably got Windows 10 Home 64bit, so as long as you install Windows 10 Home 64bit, that key would work.

 

5 minutes ago, rtpb5642 said:

download the version of windows the pc came with, its an ISO file, use RUFUS to make a bootable usb out of it. Install and activate with that key

if i just did a factory reset would that be ok 

 

[rtpb5642]

Just now, Neo0152 said:

 

 

if i just did a factory reset would that be ok 

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

 

 

Its that easy to download windows, just use a 4GB or bigger USB stick to make the image with rufus.

 

With ransomeware? NO I REPEAT DO NOT DO A FACTORY RESET

[aisle9]

1 minute ago, Neo0152 said:

 

 

if i just did a factory reset would that be ok 

 

Most likely not. You'll need to delete the partitions and start the drive from scratch to clear out the ransomware.

[Gumi Rokkaku]

35 minutes ago, rtpb5642 said:

With ransomeware? NO I REPEAT DO NOT DO A FACTORY RESET

Why not?

[kirashi]

20 minutes ago, Gumi Rokkaku said:

Why not?

Unless OP knows for a fact that the ransomware hasn't infected the factory recovery partition, it must also assume to be infected at this point. As soon as you have any kind of malware infection, nothing is 100% safe when it comes to removal except for a full disk format and reinstall. Learned this the hard way repairing computers when I started working at a retail shop years ago, before I began full wiping infected computers.