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I know I originally only asked about date and time, but doesn’t the CMOS battery preserve other BIOS settings besides date and time?

The widget is the Speechify extension for Chrome. I uninstalled it and the text-to-speech widget has not reappeared.

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TechTango

lotus wrote:

Why replace hard drive after hack?

He wanted to make the move to a solid state drive prior to this incident. Since the PC is getting a fresh install of Windows, this seemed like a good time to make the switch to a solid state drive.

lotus wrote:

After that, clear the TPM chip since hackers are using that now to hide malware. Once that is done, remove the RAM sticks and leave them out of computer for 48 hours or more to clear any ram viruses or malware that might have been uploaded into RAM exploit that is currently being used.

I was not aware of the need to isolate RAM for 48 hours before proceeding with the reinstall – thanks

 

 

I passed along the “Tech Support Scams on the Rise, Know the Warning Signs ” article  which helped convince the user to get the hard drive reformatted and act on the other advice given in this thread. He just did not realize the damage that can be caused by trusting the wrong people.

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windbg, WSbobby-p, PKCano, NaNoNyMouse, Alex5723, Susan Bradley

Susan Bradley wrote:

Tech Support Scams on the Rise, Know the Warning Signs (aarp.org)

This was a good article, thanks. From this thread he should:

1. Change passwords (using a different computer)
2. Activating two-factor authentication if not already implemented
3. Cancel credit cards
4. Notify banks
5. Put a security freeze on his credit reports
6. Put a router between the cable modem and the PC
7. Format the hard drive and reinstall the OS and software,

Should he purchase an identity theft protection service, too?

Paul T wrote:

And reinstall Windows from scratch.

By “from scratch” do you mean reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows? That would be preferable over a reset of Windows?

Alex5723 wrote:

My impression is that he values his PC’s settings above anything else.

Sort of. My analogy is that of a novice roller skater clinging to the railing at the edge of the rink to prevent themselves from falling. The lack of computer skills has him clinging to familiar desktops, menus, preference settings the same way the novice skater clings to the railing. A Windows reset will remove that “railing”, or at least temporarily remove it. I am hoping he thinks this over and agrees to a reset.

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Alex5723

Alex5723 wrote:

Or do you mean he blocked wi-fi and the router is connected by wire.

He had a separate wi-fi router that he removed. He runs an Ethernet cable from the cable modem to his desktop PC. There are no wireless devices in the house other than his iPhone.

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Alex5723

Alex5723 wrote:

In the end it all depends on how much he values his privacy, data and his money.

He places a high priority on all of the above. He removed his wifi router for security reasons, even though no neighbors or streets were within range of his wifi. He is not tech savvy. He needs consistency in order to operate his PC. That is probably why he reluctant to do the Windows reset – he may not be able to get the PC configured the way it is now. Hopefully he will have a change of heart.

Thanks @NaNoNyMouse and @n0ads. If what @Alex5723 suggested is too extreme for my friend, would scanning and cleaning his PC using anti-virus and anti-malware tools be sufficient? He has the paid version of AVG.

Thanks for the suggestions. My friend is happy with the performance of his computer after whatever fixes the technician implemented, and is reluctant to take any action at this time. He has not noticed any unexplainable financial transactions on any of his financial accounts, so he feels all is well, and I am being an alarmist. I would not feel comfortable using that computer until it had been reset, but we all have differ3ent tolerances for risk.

 

 

PKCano wrote:

A good gauge of when to update them is when their updates run out.

Thanks – I guess this makes the most sense -and whether the manufacturer has declared the router is at end-of-life would be the way to determine whether firmware updates have run out.

F A Kramer wrote:

I can use a second router down line from theirs for my wireless computer, tablet, and printer as I understand some do.

That is probably how Alex5723’s fiber service works, too.  You have to use their router for connectivity to the internet, but if you are technically motivated, you can implement your own router to distribute that connectivity in your home.

Spectrum cable in my area does not offer the same high speeds as AT&T fiber (up to 5 Mbps), but if you want to use your own router,it is just a simple connection from the cable modem to the router, no backend configuration needed.

I guess if the router is not designated as an end-of-life by the manufacturer, it will get firmware updates.

Alex5723 wrote:

My 1Gb fiber router was installed by my ISP which also is responsible for firmware updates (if any). The ISP won’t support 3rd party routers.

That’s surprising. You would think a big segment of fiber’s potential customer base would be technology gear heads who are attracted to the speed fiber offers, and they would find the lack of third party router support a deal breaker.

Drcard:)) was correct, the black and white wires are tied together – see photo below. I did try parts-people.com as cmptrgy suggested, they do not have any batteries in stock. I do not have the visual acuity to do the pin swap that dg1261 and oldguy suggested.

I  did not pay attention to the order of the wires when I purchased the first replacement battery. I bought a second battery with the wires in the correct order and that solved the problem. I have purchased this type of battery in the past for other units, I must have just gotten lucky and bought compatible batteries by chance because I never checked the wire order before purchasing a CMOS battery in the past. This is the first time the order of the wires was an issue.

Thanks for all the help on this, what should have been an easy fix.

 

 

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cmptrgy