Danger -- PCs with embedded malware

A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)
and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
reinstalling Windows."

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

In article , Alek wrote:
A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)

Windows 10 *IS* embedded malware.
(Yes, people have been saying that about Windows pretty much from the
beginning, but nowadays, with W10, it is literally true)

This is no longer hyperbole.

and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
installing Linux."

Fixed that for you.

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

Quite so.

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The randomly chosen signature file that would have appeared here is more than 4
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http://user.xmission.com/~gazelle/Sigs/ThePublicGood

Alek wrote:

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

Yes, so download it ...

Alek wrote:
A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)
and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
reinstalling Windows."

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

The first step is checking your "media cabinet".

If your new computer has no optical drive, you'd
need a portable optical drive, or you'd need a USB
flash stick. An 8GB USB flash stick should be big enough
in most casee.

The MediaCreationTool1903 that is downloaded today,
can make a DVD from the download or can load the OS
install materials onto a USB stick.

When you boot the computer with that "made" media,
you will need to use the popup boot key, and select
the right option. For example, my Sandisk USB key
shows up twice in the Popup Boot menu.

Sandisk 16GB
UEFI: Sandisk 16GB

In the case of a Dell/HP/Acer, the previous install
(disk partitioning) is likely to be GPT for UEFI.
And you'd select UEFI in the boot menu if re-installing.

If the BIOS supports UEFI+CSM, when you boot the
install media, there's a Command Prompt in the
Troubleshooting section. We could prepare the disk
for MSDOS partitioning, by erasing every sector.

diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
list partition # this allows verifying what is to be deleted
clean all # this erases the disk and makes it easier to
@ do MSDOS partitioning (2.2TB disks).
exit

And after that step is finished, you can go back to doing
the install as you would normally do a Clean Install. As
now, the disk has no memory whatsoever, of what
was there before.

I know computer users have been clamoring for an opportunity
to "wax technical" on their new computers. This looks
like such a fine opportunity to mess up a new machine :-)
I'm sure Dell is waiting now, for the return of a whole
bunch of computers, where the "disk is mysteriously empty" :-)
Or "wont boot" or similar description. But at least
there's no SupportAssist on it any more.

If you have a good, working, backup strategy, there is
nothing to fear but fear itself.

Paul

Alek wrote:

A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)
and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
reinstalling Windows."

Every pre-built computer I've seen comes with pre-installed bloatware
and trialware. Buyers think they got MS Office, but it's trialware.
Same for some name-brand anti-virus software that is pre-installed on
the pre-built. The buyer thinks the software was included but it isn't
and is instead temporary. If "malicious" is simply defined as doing
something you don't want or don't like or offers you anything you won't
use, almost all that bloatware and trialware would qualify as malicious
as it steals drive space and CPU cycles.

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

That would be one way if you want to wipe the computer. Another would
be to do a Reset of Windows 10. That reinstalls the OS. You can decide
if you want to keep or delete your data files. You'll have to reinstall
all the apps and re-tweak the OS again. I don't know if pre-builts have
customized Windows 10 to get their bundleware reinstalled on a reset.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...t-or-reinstall
https://www.lifewire.com/reset-this-...hrough-2624538

I haven't bought a pre-built computer since about 1984. However, with
laptops, netbooks, tablets, and smartphones, you're forced to buy a
pre-built.

In article , VanguardLH
wrote:

Every pre-built computer I've seen comes with pre-installed bloatware
and trialware.

then you haven't looked too hard.

microsoft signature pcs do not, among others.

On 25/06/2019 10:19, Alek wrote:
A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware

With your low level of intelligence, you should avoid reading these
articles that are not peer reviewed. They are in the business of
selling advertising space and the easy way is to write these eye
catching articles so that people of low intelligence like you will read
them and even be attracted by ads on the page. I haven't clicked on the
your spam-ware so I don't know who wrote or what is in it. I have
better things to do with my time rather than clicking on something
posted by people of low intelligence like you.






--
With over 999 million devices now running Windows 10, customer
satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

Andy Burns wrote on 6/25/2019 6:15 AM:
Alek wrote:

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

Yes, so download it ...

Create Windows 10 installation media
To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows
10.

Alek wrote:
Andy Burns wrote on 6/25/2019 6:15 AM:
Alek wrote:

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?
Yes, so download it ...

Create Windows 10 installation media
To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows
10.

If this is an OEM PC that came with Windows 10, the license
key is stored in the BIOS, in the MSDM ACPI table.

When you boot the Windows 10 DVD and install the
matchings SKU (install Win10 Home if Win10 Home
was on the machine originally), that key in the
BIOS takes care of everything.

When the system comes up, you can check and it
will be activated.

The hamburger wheel (Setup icon) on the lower left
area, has a search box. Try typing "activation" in there,
and there's probably a no-hassle status indicator in
there somewhere. I'd give a command line example,
but configuring Win10 takes time to make this
simple to do. So just check the Setup Wheel thingy
and using the search box "ask it" to cough up the goods.
"Activation" is as good a search word as any.

Windows 10 exhibits the usual grace period behavior,
but during a typical work day, you might not see a
nag about "Activate now" or the like, until half
the day has gone by. It's kinda laid back about
it.

Another way to tell you're not activated, is the
Settings : Personalize is not available. You cannot
customize the OS until it is activated again.

Paul

In article ,
nospam wrote:
In article , VanguardLH
wrote:

Every pre-built computer I've seen comes with pre-installed bloatware
and trialware.

then you haven't looked too hard.

microsoft signature pcs do not, among others.

What a dumb thing to say!

--
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

In article , Kenny McCormack
wrote:

Every pre-built computer I've seen comes with pre-installed bloatware
and trialware.

then you haven't looked too hard.

microsoft signature pcs do not, among others.

What a dumb thing to say!

nothing dumb about it.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2019 05:19:53 -0400, Alek
wrote:

A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)
and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
reinstalling Windows."

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

You should read
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...heap,5717.html
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

Eric Stevens wrote on 6/26/2019 6:13 AM:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2019 05:19:53 -0400, Alek
wrote:

A recent Forbes Mag article told of new PCs being sold with embedded
malware
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonk.../#56cb81573f28)
and the author suggests "As a wider tip: I would also advise anyone who
buys a new PC to make their first step formatting the computer and
reinstalling Windows."

Don't I need Windows 10 installation media to do the latter?

You should read
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...heap,5717.html


Thanks.