Is this bad?

hans gruber · 17 Dec 2023 at 16:44

I did a full windows defender scan and it found the following?

Is it bad? I've set it to clean-up but I'm wondering if a fresh windows install is on the cards?

Also would any of the above cause Excel to act funny? I've been have a few issues with it the last couple of weeks, which is what prompted me to do the full scan.

Rroff · 17 Dec 2023 at 16:58

Depends whether active or just files containing that malware which haven't deployed but either way not good especially if you have no idea how they got there, a full install from known clean media would be a start.

Murphy · 17 Dec 2023 at 17:01

hans gruber said:
Is it bad?

Depends if it managed to remove the threats.

hans gruber · 17 Dec 2023 at 17:16

Is there a way to see what the files containing the threats are called and where they are (or where)?

throwaway4372 · 17 Dec 2023 at 17:21

Yeah it's bad, do a clean install, then change your passwords for everything.

Looks like you're into downloading cracks to use software without proper licenses, and you've picked up nasties in the process.

You can google each of the results and read about them if curious, but basically it's game over.

Murphy · 17 Dec 2023 at 22:31

hans gruber said:
Is there a way to see what the files containing the threats are called and where they are (or where)?

Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security > Virus and Threat Protection > Protection History.

Or open a powershell window and type 'Get-MpThreat' and/or 'Get-MpThreatDetection'

hans gruber · 17 Dec 2023 at 23:57

Thanks. I did a bit more digging. Most are on a storage hard drive and are from when I had some dodgy software a few years back. I have legit windows and office 365 sub now. Another was the tasker settings app, which I haven't installed on my new phone. I don't think any of these have been deployed. I need to stop hoarding.

Deleted member 77746 · 21 Dec 2023 at 17:57

hans gruber said:
Thanks. I did a bit more digging. Most are on a storage hard drive and are from when I had some dodgy software a few years back. I have legit windows and office 365 sub now. Another was the tasker settings app, which I haven't installed on my new phone. I don't think any of these have been deployed. I need to stop hoarding.

Remove said dodgy software pronto.

Delete everything from your drive you no longer use.

If it was me personally I would make a folder somewhere else. Copy all the good stuff into new folders and then format the drive and copy everything back.

Each to their own. I don’t hoard any more so I never get these issues.

All my important files are stored in cloud. Ones I don’t care about loosing are on the portable drive.

No data is stored on any device that can’t be lost and retrieved. Same goes with my micro server. It’s all backed up twice each day automatically. Data gets checked once a month to make sure it’s ok.

ristac · 23 Dec 2023 at 20:52

I’d worry that it was dodgy software from a few years back but only just discovered

Deleted member 77746 · 23 Dec 2023 at 23:21

ristac said:
I’d worry that it was dodgy software from a few years back but only just discovered

Delete it then. You may have had couple years of data theft. Hope there’s no key logger in among all that.

D-Ranged · 29 Dec 2023 at 10:20

That mostly looks like cracks and keygens. Microsoft will tend to flag any cracks/keygens for their products as viruses, so as you mentioned, you had some of their products on an external drive, acquired by other means. Most of the time they don't actually contain any viruses, but depending on where you acquired them from, there is always the potential.

Coolasmoo · 1 Jan 2024 at 22:13

I would format c for sure. You will spend ages trying to clean that mess up and then never be sure its all clean/stable

darael · 2 Jan 2024 at 10:27

I would determine the location of the files first. If, as you say, they are mostly on your external drive, then you probably downloaded some software that you should be paying for. If you feel that you can trust your sources, then it's up to if you wish keep them and and to continue use as intended while accepting any risks.

If the files are your OS drive, then you need to ask who put them there. For example, did you install some sort of crack for Windows and are happy to keep using it knowing the Defender will flag it? Or has something else that you don't know about installed the software? If the latter, then it's time think about a reinstall.

It's one thing accepting the risks of cracks from trusted sourced and using them. But it's another installing cracks from unknown sources like torrents, only then to have your system peppered with suspicious software without your permission.

Of course, the real solution here to buy software that you intend to use.

Murphy · 2 Jan 2024 at 11:46

Personally I'd research what the threats even are first as some of the thing MS flag as threats are frankly nothing of the sorts IMO.

E.g MS consider turning off tamper protection a threat and while i understand how letting people change what MS consider to be the optimal settings for Defender reduces protection it's not what i would consider to be a threat/malware/virus, especially if you go out of your way to disable something like network performance telemetry or behaviour monitoring.