Solved Scam or real?

Thanks for removal info. Will do a backup -- thanks again.

So I just did this backup:

That does not look like a system image utility.
It looks like a file backup.
You need both.


Denis

Patsy1011 said:

So I just did this backup:

Click to expand...

Unless you have Office 365 with the free 1 TB of online space, that backup is basically useless.
Also, it is just DATA from Documents, Pictures, and Desktop files. It does not include software or anything else.
An Image backup to an external drive with other software is needed for that.

Just MBAM for on demand scans (not resident) and a good AV (Defender if fine) is a good choice. You can add Spyware Blaster as another passive option to block known malicious web sites. Combine with "smart computing" and you should be fine.

Regardless of how highly McAfee may be rated, I've always considered it its own form of malware. Hate it - have been recommending against it for as long as I can remember.

Definitely uninstall McAfee. You said you'd already downloaded Malwarebytes earlier - is that still there. Just stick with the free version for now and run a scan and see if it finds anything. Before doing anything else.

Then as the others said - it's a good idea to make a system image. What this does is mean you can reinstall Windows exactly as it came - like a factory reset - in case the drive ever dies - it means you can install it straight onto the new drive. For that you need an external hard drive and imaging software. If you can't do it straight away, then do it when you've got everything you need sorted.

Just to add to Hazel's post above, creating an image is fine. But even better is establishing a regular routine of creating disk images as your primary backup strategy.

If you uninstall McAfee you'll be fine, because Windows Defender will take over. And if you run Malwarebytes free, then you'll know the system is clean. Personally I wouldn't add any other antivirus at this stage and let all the Windows updates get done next. To stop Malwarebytes nagging you to upgrade you go to settings and turn off activate subscription, or whatever it says. When you get chance there are other things you can turn off as well - to stop it running in the background. But not essential immediately.

Hazel123 said:

If you uninstall McAfee you'll be fine, because Windows Defender will take over. And if you run Malwarebytes free, then you'll know the system is clean. Personally I wouldn't add any other antivirus at this stage and let all the Windows updates get done next. To stop Malwarebytes nagging you to upgrade you go to settings and turn off activate subscription, or whatever it says. When you get chance there are other things you can turn off as well - to stop it running in the background. But not essential immediately.

Click to expand...

He has MBAM premium.

Hazel123 said:

Then as the others said - it's a good idea to make a system image. What this does is mean you can reinstall Windows exactly as it came - like a factory reset - in case the drive ever dies - it means you can install it straight onto the new drive. For that you need an external hard drive and imaging software. If you can't do it straight away, then do it when you've got everything you need sorted.

Click to expand...

I have an install usb with windows on it. Does that not qualify as a backup?

Also to all regarding MWB - I have a lifetime free license as I signed up with them zillions of years ago. I also have a paid version - one is on the HP and the other on my Lenovo.

I am going to uninstall McAfee. and just go with Defender for the HP.

Windows 10 on the usb would give a clean install of the operating system. An image of the current drive would include all preinstalled drivers and programs as well - which is better. If you did have to do a clean install in future, Windows Update would find most of the drivers, but it would take a lot longer than just restore from your image which would be quite quick and you'd be up and running.

I think what most people do (correct me if I'm wrong). Is an initial system image once turned on and anything removed you don't want (eg McAfee). Then install programs you want and get it set up. Then do another image. That second image restores windows including your programs (if you prefer to do that in future). Then install personal files. And do another image that includes windows, drivers, programs and personal files.

So Macrium?

Patsy1011 said:

So Macrium?

Click to expand...

Ghot said:

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

Thank you, @Ghot! I was going to tell her the three best, but you beat me to it by about three hours. And with 'structions, yet!

If you are not familiar with imaging, here's a "short" intro I put together years ago for another site. Hope it will help:

Disk Imaging software takes a "snapshot" of your drive as it exists at the time you create the image. You can then restore the entire image or any file(s) or folder(s) you choose. It is a virtually foolproof way of backing up your system and providing a safe haven in the event of a catastrophe that requires you to blow away your system partition and restore it to a previous state. It also allows you to "test" various software and be confident that you have a the ability to return to the prior state any time you choose.

I used Acronis True Image for many years, but when they switched to a subscription model rather than outright user ownership, I moved to Macrium Reflect. It is every bit as reliable as Acronis and perhaps a bit more powerful.

1) I create an image of my system partition once a week to a secondary drive, rotating between two drives, and keep the 2 or 3 most recent images on each of those drives. In other words, week 1 the image is stored on secondary disc A and week two the image is stored on secondary disc B. I also image my other partitions about once a month. I always enable "verify image" in the options. It takes a little longer, but insures a valid image (the last thing you want is to try to restore an image only to find it is corrupt - it happens).

2) I also create an image before performing any drive level function (ie, changing the size of a partition) or making any significant change to the OS such as installing a service pack, or even when installing a "questionable" Windows update, etc.

3) Images may be created on any medium (external drive, usb drive, cd's or dvd's, etc). For obvious reasons they should not be stored on the same drive you are imaging. The easiest option is a second internal hd if you have one and, if you're really ambitious, to an external drive as well (one week to the internal & one week to the external or just duplicates on the external - that's actually the procedure I follow).

4) Images may be created "in the background" within the OS. If you need to restore the system partition, that will need to be done before the OS loads. You can start the process within the application in the OS and it will then tell you it needs to reboot to finish the process. Alternatively, you can boot to a "recovery disk" which you create from within the software (or to the application disk itself if you have one). Even easier, you can also use a built in tool to create a rescue environment on the PC itself (when the system first boots you will have the choice of booting to the OS or the rescue environment - the OS option can be an automated choice after "X" seconds so you do not need to make a manual choice every time the system boots). Non-system partitions or drives can be restored without a reboot.

Oh such a good write up -- I have used Macrium successfully a few times but have never really felt comfortable that I was doing it correctly. I did restore a beat up Dell a couple of times. Thanks very much for that write-up.

Just out of interest, did malwarebytes find anything?

Nope...a PUP. Quarantined.