HP Shipped Infected "new" computer!

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:03:03 -0600, Mathedman
wrote:

My wife , several days ago, purchased a new all-in -one
HP computer. The box had clearly not been opened before.
(we declined to buy, at a discount, one that had been
We took out the computer and to our dismay, iy didn't work!
Well, it turned on but did not recognize either the one
USB port nor the DVD slot.
Connected HP and to my surprise got an immediate response
--- explained the problem --- ws switched to a person who
would fix the computer. She opened a chat box so we could
"talk" in real time --- asked the problem and very quickly
she had fixed the USB and DVD access. Then, to my surprise
she asked if she could look through the computer. She had
it set up so I could see the computer's action as we chatted.
Soon she showed me nearly two dozen files on this "new"
computer and asked what they were. I had no idea od course
and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
(This on an alleged "new" computer.
For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
What is my recourse HP ?

Sounds to me like the product was an open box one which was simply
sealed in such a way that it wasn't immediately visible to the client.
Still, very odd behaviour.

To say the least, HP currently has a bad reputation with including
software that shouldn't be there (things like keyloggers are included
in the default installation for certain models) but a dozen or so such
examples is very bizarre.

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:48:13 -0600, Mathedman
wrote:

On 12/13/2017 8:20 AM, Mayayana wrote:
"Mathedman" wrote


| and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
| (This on an alleged "new" computer.
| For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
| So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
| What is my recourse HP ?
|

You need to always be sure that you're actually
contacting the company, as Philo pointed out.
You might want to recheck the phone number or
however you got in touch. If it wasn't HP then stop
your credit card payment.

Once you get that straightened out, see this:

https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/hp...etry-data.html

HP has been pre-installing spyware, but it's a service
that you should be able to disable.


My main point was that I had paid new-computer prices for an
obviously used one --- there were some 2 dozen unknown files on it!
No pre-instaled software that we know of, nor found by the lady who
fixed it.

The fact that the girl "very quickly" fixed the USB and DVD
peripherals should indicate that it was a common problem for which
they got many calls. The spyware though is something different. It's
possible that first part was a true mistake on the manufacturer's part
and therefore fixed at no cost to you but that the second problem -
which probably wasn't a real problem at all - was an opportunity for
them to recoup some of the profits they lost for selling the machine
at such a bargain by charging you for an unnecessary clean-up.

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:08:47 -0500, "Jonathan N. Little"
wrote:

Mathedman wrote:
On 12/13/2017 8:26 AM, philo wrote:
On 12/13/2017 8:20 AM, Mayayana wrote:
"Mathedman" wrote


| and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
| (This on an alleged "new" computer.
|** For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
|** So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
|** What is my recourse HP ?
|

*** You need to always be sure that you're actually
contacting the company, as Philo pointed out.
You might want to recheck the phone number or
however you got in touch. If it wasn't HP then stop
your credit card payment.

** Once you get that straightened out, see this:

https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/hp...etry-data.html

HP has been pre-installing spyware, but it's a service
that you should be able to disable.





Also:

If you do have to call your credit card company, never say that you
think there is a mistake of some sort.

Immediately proclaim fraud.
You will get right to the point and get very prompt service.

* As I said, I did actually contact HP (one has to sign away your first
born to even find a way to do so!)
** But whoever, she did clean the computer and repair the USB and DVD
ports.

Nope. Standard "tech support scam" Whatever you did you were not talking
to real HP Support. Standard scam is to use some LogMeIn|TeamViewer
remote tool, show victim so "error" messages in the Event log, do a
little damage that charge your CC, and get extra bonus your financials...

Reasons this stinks is

1) Brand new computer is under warranty. Even the lousiest warranties
extend more than "several days".

2) If this was such a *new* computer, simply running System Recovery and
choose the "factory fresh" option would have removed an nefarious
software if installed by tampering.

3) Highly unlikely is was "tampering" in the first place but some
misconfiguration or misunderstanding by user.

4) HP like several OEM supplies sell models with crapware, it is not to
difficult to clear the crap with a little Google searching for instructions.

Conclusion whether on not you want to accept it is you've been had.

While I agree with absolutely everything you wrote (and think that
there are many holes in what the original poster said), I get the
impression that we're not dealing with a user who is _aware_ that
manufacturers provide tools to ensure that a user can easily restore a
default installation.

On 12/13/2017 9:39 AM, Mathedman wrote:
P support lady who cleaned it said some of it was malware!
(and, have you ever tried to contach HP ---not possible without payment!!!
Have you ever heard of McAfee, Malwarebytes, etc that will clean you
computer for a lot less money?


I am with the comment that you got taken. From a technical point of
view, and while they can be used to track your online activity, I don't
think cookies can be consider malware.

--
2017: The year we learn to play the great game of Euchre

On 13 Dec 2017, Rene Lamontagne wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Didn't we just go through this a couple weeks ago?

Yes. He was in the Windows 7 group telling false and misleading stories
of a Dell computer that obviously didn't exist. Like here, he refused
to provide pertinent details, and kept contradicting himself.

This appears to be yet another troll.

Doomsdrzej wrote:
While I agree with absolutely everything you wrote (and think that
there are many holes in what the original poster said), I get the
impression that we're not dealing with a user who is_aware_ that
manufacturers provide tools to ensure that a user can easily restore a
default installation.

There is also one more option that I have considered but did not voice:
OP was in reality just BS and part of a troll effort.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

On 13 Dec 2017, philo wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I agree. If one does a Google search for HP support, there very
well may be phony companies the link leads to

Quite right. I've probably told this story before...

A friend got one of those phone calls from a scammer claiming to be
"Microsoft Support", saying that they had detected viruses on his
computer and wanted remote access to it. He is not very computer-
literate, and is overly trusting, and so followed the caller's
instructions... to a point. He finally got suspicious and hung up
before letting the guy have actual access to the computer.

He then had the bright idea to call up Microsoft to see if the call was
legitimate. So, he Googled "Microsoft" and called the first entry that
came up - which, you might have guessed, turned out to be yet another
bogus "support" outfit that started to lead him down the same garden
path. At that point he hung up and called me in a panic, thinking that
his computer had been compromised. I determined that it was OK.

Point being, that it can be hard for naive people to tell the good guys
from the bad guys on the Internet.

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 13:59:57 -0500, -= Hawk =- wrote:

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:03:03 -0600, Mathedman
scribbled:

My wife , several days ago, purchased a new all-in -one
HP computer. The box had clearly not been opened before.
(we declined to buy, at a discount, one that had been
We took out the computer and to our dismay, iy didn't work!
Well, it turned on but did not recognize either the one
USB port nor the DVD slot.
Connected HP and to my surprise got an immediate response
--- explained the problem --- ws switched to a person who
would fix the computer. She opened a chat box so we could
"talk" in real time --- asked the problem and very quickly
she had fixed the USB and DVD access. Then, to my surprise
she asked if she could look through the computer. She had
it set up so I could see the computer's action as we chatted.
Soon she showed me nearly two dozen files on this "new"
computer and asked what they were. I had no idea od course
and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
(This on an alleged "new" computer.
For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
What is my recourse HP ?

You need a fairly large open space. Stand there with your legs apart and
get the biggest guy you know to repeatedly kick you in the balls while
wearing steel toed boots. Why didn't you download MalwareBytes? It's
free and probably what the tech ass****ed you $179 to run.

If the guy was indeed trolling us (most likely), he must be
disappointed that we're all helpful and kind to him.

On 12/13/2017 12:25 PM, Nil wrote:
On 13 Dec 2017, Rene Lamontagne wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Didn't we just go through this a couple weeks ago?

Yes. He was in the Windows 7 group telling false and misleading stories
of a Dell computer that obviously didn't exist. Like here, he refused
to provide pertinent details, and kept contradicting himself.

This appears to be yet another troll.



I thought so, another half-assed troll.

Rene

On 12/13/2017 2:06 PM, Doomsdrzej wrote:
On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 13:59:57 -0500, -= Hawk =- wrote:

On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:03:03 -0600, Mathedman
scribbled:

My wife , several days ago, purchased a new all-in -one
HP computer. The box had clearly not been opened before.
(we declined to buy, at a discount, one that had been
We took out the computer and to our dismay, iy didn't work!
Well, it turned on but did not recognize either the one
USB port nor the DVD slot.
Connected HP and to my surprise got an immediate response
--- explained the problem --- ws switched to a person who
would fix the computer. She opened a chat box so we could
"talk" in real time --- asked the problem and very quickly
she had fixed the USB and DVD access. Then, to my surprise
she asked if she could look through the computer. She had
it set up so I could see the computer's action as we chatted.
Soon she showed me nearly two dozen files on this "new"
computer and asked what they were. I had no idea od course
and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
(This on an alleged "new" computer.
For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
What is my recourse HP ?

You need a fairly large open space. Stand there with your legs apart and
get the biggest guy you know to repeatedly kick you in the balls while
wearing steel toed boots. Why didn't you download MalwareBytes? It's
free and probably what the tech ass****ed you $179 to run.

If the guy was indeed trolling us (most likely), he must be
disappointed that we're all helpful and kind to him.


Not this Cowboy.

Rene

On 12/13/17 9:03 AM, Mathedman wrote:
My wife , several days ago, purchased a new all-in -one
HP computer. The box had clearly not been opened before.
(we declined to buy, at a discount, one that had been
We took out the computer and to our dismay, iy didn't work!
Well, it turned on but did not recognize either the one
USB port nor the DVD slot.
Connected HP and to my surprise got an immediate response
--- explained the problem --- ws switched to a person who
would fix the computer. She opened a chat box so we could
"talk" in real time --- asked the problem and very quickly
she had fixed the USB and DVD access. Then, to my surprise
she asked if she could look through the computer. She had
it set up so I could see the computer's action as we chatted.
Soon she showed me nearly two dozen files on this "new"
computer and asked what they were. I had no idea od course
and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
(This on an alleged "new" computer.
For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
What is my recourse HP ?


"System As A Service" cloud computing

--
dale - http://www.dalekelly.org

On 12/13/2017 5:04 PM, -= Hawk =- wrote:
On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:48:13 -0600, Mathedman
scribbled:

On 12/13/2017 8:20 AM, Mayayana wrote:
"Mathedman" wrote


| and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
| (This on an alleged "new" computer.
| For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
| So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
| What is my recourse HP ?
|

You need to always be sure that you're actually
contacting the company, as Philo pointed out.
You might want to recheck the phone number or
however you got in touch. If it wasn't HP then stop
your credit card payment.

Once you get that straightened out, see this:

https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/hp...etry-data.html

HP has been pre-installing spyware, but it's a service
that you should be able to disable.


My main point was that I had paid new-computer prices for an
obviously used one --- there were some 2 dozen unknown files on it!
No pre-instaled software that we know of, nor found by the lady who
fixed it.

Unknown by whom? Have you gotten your balls kicked in yet?

You should have returned it to the Store where you bought it. If you
bought a refurbished unit, then it is buyer beware. I would still take
it back if it did not have the software listed on the specification sheet.

There no way I would pay nearly $200 to repair a new computer that was
on warrantee

--
2017: The year we learn to play the great game of Euchre

On 12/13/2017 4:55 PM, -= Hawk =- wrote:
On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:10:14 -0600, Rene Lamontagne
scribbled:

On 12/13/2017 12:25 PM, Nil wrote:
On 13 Dec 2017, Rene Lamontagne wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Didn't we just go through this a couple weeks ago?

Yes. He was in the Windows 7 group telling false and misleading stories
of a Dell computer that obviously didn't exist. Like here, he refused
to provide pertinent details, and kept contradicting himself.

This appears to be yet another troll.



I thought so, another half-assed troll.

This one appers to be wholly assed.


Yeah, he must have taken a double dose of stupid pills.

Rene

On 12/13/2017 5:15 PM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
On 12/13/2017 5:04 PM, -= Hawk =- wrote:
On Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:48:13 -0600, Mathedman
scribbled:

On 12/13/2017 8:20 AM, Mayayana wrote:
"Mathedman" wrote


| and she continued but explained that some of them were malware.
| (This on an alleged "new" computer.
|Â*Â* For $179 she agreed to completely clean the computer.
|Â*Â* So, I paid $179 to rid a used (but sold as new) of malware.
|Â*Â* What is my recourse HP ?
|

Â*Â*Â*Â* You need to always be sure that you're actually
contacting the company, as Philo pointed out.
You might want to recheck the phone number or
however you got in touch. If it wasn't HP then stop
your credit card payment.

Â*Â*Â* Once you get that straightened out, see this:

https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/hp...etry-data.html

HP has been pre-installing spyware, but it's a service
that you should be able to disable.


Â*Â*Â* My main point was that I had paid new-computer prices for an
obviously used one --- there were some 2 dozen unknown files on it!
No pre-instaled software that we know of, nor found by the lady who
fixed it.

Unknown by whom? Have you gotten your balls kicked in yet?

You should have returned it to the Store where you bought it.Â*Â* If you
bought a refurbished unit, then it is buyer beware.Â*Â* I would still take
it back if it did not have the software listed on the specification sheet.

There no way I would pay nearly $200 to repair a new computer that was
on warrantee
Kieth, He's having you on.

Rene

On 12/13/2017 1:42 PM, Nil wrote:
On 13 Dec 2017, philo wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I agree. If one does a Google search for HP support, there very
well may be phony companies the link leads to

Quite right. I've probably told this story before...

A friend got one of those phone calls from a scammer claiming to be
"Microsoft Support", saying that they had detected viruses on his
computer and wanted remote access to it. He is not very computer-
literate, and is overly trusting, and so followed the caller's
instructions... to a point. He finally got suspicious and hung up
before letting the guy have actual access to the computer.

He then had the bright idea to call up Microsoft to see if the call was
legitimate. So, he Googled "Microsoft" and called the first entry that
came up - which, you might have guessed, turned out to be yet another
bogus "support" outfit that started to lead him down the same garden
path. At that point he hung up and called me in a panic, thinking that
his computer had been compromised. I determined that it was OK.

Point being, that it can be hard for naive people to tell the good guys
from the bad guys on the Internet.




Yes indeed. One really has to watch out