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Person who "fixed" my computer, told me he put pirated OS on it

khblom

By khblom
in General Windows PC Help

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khblom

khblom

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I'm not sure if I'm in the right place. I recently had some work done on my computer. The person who "fixed" it, said our 1 Terabyte HD was going to crash. So he replaced it with one of his HDs. When I got home, nothing works. We had Windows 10. He replaced with Windows 7, and then proceeded to tell me that it was a pirated copy. I'm really not sure where to go from here. I've been trying to "fix" my "fixed" computer.

As of now, I really need to download Quicken, but I keep getting an error that says that files are corrupted.

Any help is appreciated.

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Aura

Aura

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Hi khblom :)

Since you are using a pirated copy of Windows, what you need to do is a buy legitimate Windows 7 product key, and use it to activate your current installation. Since he installed Windows 7, I would clean reinstall it just in case. Also, I would ask that person to buy you the product key, since it's against the law to install pirated software. If he owns a business, Microsoft could bring him in court for this.

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Porthos

Porthos

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1 hour ago, khblom said:

We had Windows 10. He replaced with Windows 7

All you need to do is do a clean install of windows 10. If you don't feel comfortable with that task go to a real computer shop and pay to have it done legally and correct.

 

If your Win 10 was already activated you are entitled to reinstall it on the same computer as many times as you want,No product key needed.

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Aura

Aura

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4 minutes ago, Porthos said:

If your Win 10 was already activated you are entitled to reinstall it on the same computer as many times as you want,No product key needed.

This. Under Windows 10, the activation works by tying the product key with the hardware in a way even I don't comprehend fully, but you should be able to install Windows 10 and it should activate automatically.

Also, you should be able to find your old product key by looking on your computer (it should be on a sticker that looks like this).

pl3988577-remark.jpg

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daledoc1

daledoc1

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Hi, @khblom

As you mentioned needing Quicken, I wonder if you had financial or other sensitive data on the "old" HDD that ended up in the shady repair person's possession?

If so, you may want to take counter-measures to protect your identity and financial integrity, by changing from a known, clean computer all passwords and other credentials for banking and other accounts.

Just a thought,

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khblom

khblom

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On 7/3/2016 at 6:50 AM, daledoc1 said:

Hi, @khblom

As you mentioned needing Quicken, I wonder if you had financial or other sensitive data on the "old" HDD that ended up in the shady repair person's possession?

If so, you may want to take counter-measures to protect your identity and financial integrity, by changing from a known, clean computer all passwords and other credentials for banking and other accounts.

Just a thought,

Thanks for the thought @daledoc1. I'd had the same idea. Do you know if running Malware Bytes on the new system will confirm whether he left behind any Malware? He said he left the old HDD in the tower.

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daledoc1

daledoc1

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Hi:

Even if the unscrupulous repair person left you the old HDD, he had access to it while it was in his shop.  I don't wish to stoke paranoia or FUD.  But I would be concerned that he could well have accessed the data on that old drive, even if he returned it to you.  If he is shady enough to have installed pirated Windows, then who knows....??
Without hideously expensive forensic analysis, there's probably no way to know for sure.  But, if this were my computer, I would consider all of the data on the old drive to be potentially compromised.  That is why I suggested changing all of your passwords and other account credentials from a known, clean system.... At least for me, I would not sleep well until I had done so.

As far as checking the new drive for malware, there's no way to know for sure without running a series of scanners and tools.  A clean MBAM scan on the new drive is reassuring, but not 100% foolproof.  Certain types of malware require multiple scans for complete diagnosis and removal, as explained HERE.

If you would like a bit of free, expert help checking for malware on the new drive, then I suggest starting with the advice here: Available Assistance for Possibly Infected Computers.
It explains the options and preliminary steps for having one of the trained malware experts guide you through scanning and (if needed) cleanup in a special forum area reserved for that purpose.

Cheers,

 

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Porthos

Porthos

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2 hours ago, khblom said:

Do you know if running Malware Bytes on the new system will confirm whether he left behind any Malware? He said he left the old HDD in the tower.

 

On 7/2/2016 at 2:52 PM, khblom said:

So he replaced it with one of his HDs

Is the OLD drive still hooked up?

You said you loaded 10 on the "new" drive. That to me says it is now clean.

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Porthos

Porthos

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Posted (edited)
On 7/2/2016 at 4:27 PM, Porthos said:

All you need to do is do a clean install of windows 10.

 

On 7/2/2016 at 4:36 PM, Porthos said:

If you are up to it and can Follow instructions I can link all the tutorials needed for the job.

Guess these were overlooked.

This will be the simplest for you to do. If you do not have your doc,pic,ect backed up use option keep my files. All programs will need to be reinstalled.

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4130-reset-windows-10-a.html

 

Edited by Porthos
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khblom

khblom

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51 minutes ago, Porthos said:

 

Guess these were overlooked.

This will be the simplest for you to do. If you do not have your doc,pic,ect backed up use option keep my files. All programs will need to be reinstalled.

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4130-reset-windows-10-a.html

 

Thank you! I'll work on this starting in the morning. I saw it, but it came about the same time a couple others said I could install since I had it on my machine originally. I took that to mean it would be clean simply by upgrading. I appreciate your help!

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daledoc1

daledoc1

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{Just for my own edification, @Aura and @Porthos.....}

If @khblom upgraded from pirated Win7 to Win10, then how will a clean reinstall of Win10 fix the licensing/digital entitlement issue? 

Does he not need at some point a valid, legal key either for Win7 or for Win10?

Windows activation issues aside and potential malware issues on the new system aside (if it's a fresh Windows install, then it's probably not infected, as @Porthos aptly pointed out)...

And, at the risk of flagellating a deceased equine...

Are you sure you got the old drive back?
If it is not hooked up, how do you know it's really in the tower, as he claimed?

Even if it *is* physically in your possession, I am concerned that the crook repair guy may have compromised the the data on that drive while it was in his shop. {Sorry, but this unsettles me.}

If you do have physical possession of the old drive, I would be highly suspicious of his claim that it had failed -- there are ways to test the hardware.  If it's good, you could potentially wipe and then get back the use of the old drive and its significant storage capacity as a data drive.  Just a thought....
If it's NOT in there, then I would not be surprised if he kept it and passed it along to someone else, or....

{Crawling back under my rock, with my tinfoil hat}:unsure:

 

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Porthos

Porthos

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12 minutes ago, daledoc1 said:

If @khblom upgraded from pirated Win7 to Win10, then how will a clean reinstall of Win10 fix the licensing/digital entitlement issue? 

Does he not need at some point a valid, legal key either for Win7 or for Win10?

He had 10 before the idiot worked on his computer so he already had a legal digital entitlement already.

12 minutes ago, daledoc1 said:

(if it's a fresh Windows install, then it's probably not infected, as @Porthos aptly pointed out)...

He UPGRADED from the dodgy Win 7 and most likely kept programs and settings(default setting) so malware would follow. If he chose to save nothing there is nothing to worry about and my last instructions are unnecessary.

Edited by Porthos
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daledoc1

daledoc1

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#1:

Ah, OK, I guess I lost track of that. Thanks for clarification.  My old brain is easily confused.

#2:

Yes, agree.  If the pirated Win7 -> Win10 "upgrade" on the NEW drive was a "clean" install, keeping nothing (or, even better, a bare metal reformat), then yes, the new Win10 OS on the new drive is probably uninfected. 

If it was an "upgrade", then I agree with @Porthos, that it would be safest to start from scratch on the new drive, performing a clean reinstall of Win10 (or even a bare metal reformat).

I suppose it depends on your level of comfort or discomfort with what may or may not have transpired while the system was in the hands of the crooked "repair" guy.

OK, I will bow out, so as not to confuse the OP any further.

Thanks!:)

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khblom

khblom

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You are all very helpful. Honestly, it's so refreshing to receive this help! If I were to have my husband remove the side of the tower when he gets home this afternoon. Would you guys be able to tell me if there are two hard drives in the computer still? Maybe a dumb question, but I'm not computer savvy in the slightest!

(I would remove the side of it myself, but I am pregnant and due in a week and a half, so sitting on the ground and working is not very comfortable right now)

Again, thanks for your help everyone!

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