Tale of Woe

[Colin23erk]

After a disastrous fortnight after being locked out of Windows 7 by Ransom-ware I now feel that it would have been better to have paid up rather than have all the difficulties I have encountered  trying to get my computer back to normal work  .
Summery of events



Tried changing Windows Password using various methods  - nothing worked
Reinstalled Windows - messed up Booting to Lite


Used Linux Boot Rescue Disk --  Lite boot Stalled


Saved Home on the understanding I could use it to get my settings back
Used USB drive to Install 2.6 assuming it would upgrade my 2.4  and allow Lite to load without Stalling
When I replaced the old Home in to Lite 2.6 my password would not work
I had to do a Reinstall using the USB drive .


Now I realize that I will have to load all my installed Programs and settings from scratch as the "Home" file does not contain any settings etc. Creating a /Home partition is virtually the same having a Data partition accessed by shortcuts in Home  which I did


Also I will have to setup  my programs and settings in Windows 7 --- Happy times


I would have saved a lot of time and anguish if I had simply reloaded Windows 7 then Linux-Lite without trying to mend anything . I had hoped Linux and its support community would have been able to help fix it . After having problems in my early days with Window I found s it was quicker to reinstall the whole OS rater than find and fix my problem


The only saving grace is I still have all my data in its own Partition

[rokytnji]

http://redobackup.org/

Works on copying my windows and linux drives to my external 3TB Samusung Drive. I also have 2, 1 TB external 2.5 usb hard drives
since I back up more than just one computer.

But then. I only tune motorcycles with Windows since Linux cannot handle that. My windows pretty much stays off line.
Everyones needs are different and i have no experience with Ransom Ware.

But. I mod at a forum that has a malware expert when it comes to Windows.

http://www.smartestcomputing.us.com/

[N4RPS]

Hello!

Colin, I'm sorry about what happened to you. Having tried the "howtogeek" article on reprogramming Sticky Keys to provide a command window to change your Windows password myself, it looks like that would work in pretty much any situation.

Despite all your hard work in restoring your system, in the end, you did the right thing, Colin. There's no guarantee they would have restored access to you if you HAD paid up.

We're talking about extortionists and thieves here. If they HAD any honor, they wouldn't have come up with the scam to start with...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob