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Okay so I just downloaded a torrent for Connectify having about a 1000 seeders and mistakenly ran the setup... Tada! Sh*tload of viruses...

The virus changed my chrome settings, installed a bunch of adware, but then malwarebytes to the rescue. Did 2 scans, removed everything, rebooted.

Notification bar and start menu not working since then. I randomly keep hearing the notification sound on my laptop. Tried this answer, the powershell script, everything. What do I do?

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YaddyVirus
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1 Answers1

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Honestly? Wipe and reload your operating system. If Malwarebytes and your subsequent troubleshooting weren't able to get you back to normal, you won't really have full functionality (as well as peace of mind) unless you start over with a clean slate.

As a public service announcement, I can't tell you how many times I have heard of similar problems occur after someone downloads a torrent file that is laced with malware. At some point, I hope that the "school of hard knocks" will provide some valuable lessons.

Run5k
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  • Some much needed valuable lessons indeed... However any workarounds rather than wiping my OS? BTW by wiping you mean resetting it right? – YaddyVirus Oct 20 '16 at 16:59
  • At this point, I wouldn't completely trust anything short of an OS reload. Personally, I would create separate Windows 10 installation media on a "clean" computer and do a full wipe & reload. – Run5k Oct 20 '16 at 17:11
  • Damn... That's not possible – YaddyVirus Oct 20 '16 at 17:14
  • You don't have even temporary access to another computer? The [Windows 10 installation media can be downloaded from Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO/) themselves free-of-charge, and your activation is maintained within the cloud so you don't need a product key. – Run5k Oct 20 '16 at 17:27
  • "and your activation is maintained within the cloud so you don't need a product key." - This is only if you opt-into this feature on Version 1607, and is an option, if you connect your local account to a Microsoft. Automatic activation still happens, if you don't opt-into this feature, but your entitlement isn't tied to anything except the machine. – Ramhound Oct 20 '16 at 18:03
  • _"Automatic activation still happens, if you don't opt-into this feature, but your entitlement isn't tied to anything except the machine."_ - As you might imagine, that was my primary emphasis since the potential goal is to wipe/reload the same machine. Good info regarding the 1607 version, though! – Run5k Oct 20 '16 at 18:23
  • @Run5k - If you want to emphasis that, then you should make that statement, what was said has some interpretation to it – Ramhound Oct 20 '16 at 18:25
  • @Run5k actually I'm out on a trip to Kolkata where I have my World Robot Olympiad National round, and I need my laptop up and running asap. No worries though, did a system restore and it seems to be working fine now.' – YaddyVirus Oct 20 '16 at 18:29
  • @Run5k since restoring the system back and starting afresh is kinda the same thing, I'm marking your post as the answer – YaddyVirus Oct 20 '16 at 18:30
  • @Ramhound - That's true, but in my experience it is usually prudent to keep technical explanations relatively simple unless there is a compelling reason to elaborate. Since the reload would have occurred on the same machine, anything beyond that seemed superfluous. – Run5k Oct 20 '16 at 18:59
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    @YaddyVirus - Glad that we could help out in some small way, and hopefully everything will now remain stable. – Run5k Oct 20 '16 at 19:00