The CryptoWall guessing game

[Xonok]

So yesterday I was hit by the currently ongoing wave of ransomware attacks. Nothing valuable was lost, but it seems some drivers have been hit.
Wc3 seems to work fine, but JNGPE throws errors when I open it. Note that I get this same error in some other cases, such as trying to navigate to web.skype.com with firefox(but not chrome.)

So without further ado, what drivers do you think might be causing this problem? I consider this a game because eventually I will get bored and just reinstall once I've copied my actual important stuff over(none of that got encrypted). Yes, I am certain that I've got rid of the infection itself.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

just use Cclean or slimeremover and prevent bitlock from running when your computer starts up.

without bitlock most windows can't encrypt files

 

[Zwiebelchen]

Wipe your system.

Save everything you need on an external HDD an go. If you haven't updated to W10 already, now is your chance to do that.

Windows was basicly designed to be reinstalled every 3 years. It just gets slower and slower if you don't.

 

[Xonok]

just use Cclean or slimeremover and prevent bitlock from running when your computer starts up.

without bitlock most windows can't encrypt files

That's not how CryptoWall works. It runs once and then expects you to pay them to decrypt the files, so stopping it after that has happened is useless.

Wipe your system.

Save everything you need on an external HDD an go. If you haven't updated to W10 already, now is your chance to do that.

Windows was basicly designed to be reinstalled every 3 years. It just gets slower and slower if you don't.

I'm running windows 8 atm, so it shouldn't be that bad. I have been wondering about the options that I have and atm it seems I can just reset the system. I'll try refreshing it first though.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

Doesn't W8 get the free update to W10 aswell?
Tbh, I'd definitely use the opportunity to upgrade while it's still free.

 

[Xonok]

I generally don't want to upgrade to newer windows systems, since they get dumber and dumber. There are some good features, but there's also a spectacular array of ways to mess things up.
Some examples:
The skype that comes with Win8.1 requires some special kind of microsoft account and doesn't work at all otherwise.
There's a feature that disables the touchpad when you press any key.(Enabled by default).
The Geforce Experience variant that's installed by default is constantly sending information to the internet. Uninstalling this and getting one from the official site fixed it.
High amount of bloatware "apps" that are sub-par on a laptop. They look like they were made for phones and yet they have been included on a laptop.
Autocomplete that applies everywhere is on by default.
Default programs like IE can not be removed at all. They can only be disabled.

None of those problems existed in windows 7 and there are few features in win8 that are actually worth the trouble:
Hibernate and boot being merged(ultra-fast startups(partly because of my SSD too). I didn't like using the normal shutdown anyway)
Windows processes get out of the way when I start doing something.

So far I've taken the attitude that I'll just see how things go and if downgrade if something unbearable happens.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

I generally don't want to upgrade to newer windows systems, since they get dumber and dumber. There are some good features, but there's also a spectacular array of ways to mess things up.
Some examples:
The skype that comes with Win8.1 requires some special kind of microsoft account and doesn't work at all otherwise.
There's a feature that disables the touchpad when you press any key.(Enabled by default).
The Geforce Experience variant that's installed by default is constantly sending information to the internet. Uninstalling this and getting one from the official site fixed it.
High amount of bloatware "apps" that are sub-par on a laptop. They look like they were made for phones and yet they have been included on a laptop.
Autocomplete that applies everywhere is on by default.
Default programs like IE can not be removed at all. They can only be disabled.

None of those problems existed in windows 7 and there are few features in win8 that are actually worth the trouble:
Hibernate and boot being merged(ultra-fast startups(partly because of my SSD too). I didn't like using the normal shutdown anyway)
Windows processes get out of the way when I start doing something.

So far I've taken the attitude that I'll just see how things go and if downgrade if something unbearable happens.

Yes, but you are using Windows 8, not Windows 7. And EVERYTHING is better than Windows 8.

I'd do the upgrade, honestly. From what I've heard so far W10 is actually pretty decent (W7 decent).

I only hesitate to upgrade because my system is currently running flawless and you should never change a running system. But yours seems compromised anyway, so why wait?

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

Wipe your system.

Save everything you need on an external HDD an go. If you haven't updated to W10 already, now is your chance to do that.

Windows was basicly designed to be reinstalled every 3 years. It just gets slower and slower if you don't.

ha your such a slave to the man. I have a windows vista and windows 98 which both run better then windows 7 and 10.

it's the windows automatic updates which have viruses in them created by Microsoft to destroy perfectly functioning machines so you buy new ones

just tick, never update and your system will never have problems

if you are currently suffering from a slow system due to a recent update, then delete all windows updates and download, 'Wat remover'. suddenly your computer will be working like new again.

 

[BlargHonk]

Install Gentoo

 

[Eagle XI]

ha your such a slave to the man. I have a windows vista and windows 98 which both run better then windows 7 and 10.

it's the windows automatic updates which have viruses in them created by Microsoft to destroy perfectly functioning machines so you buy new ones

just tick, never update and your system will never have problems

if you are currently suffering from a slow system due to a recent update, then delete all windows updates and download, 'Wat remover'. suddenly your computer will be working like new again.

andreaspaspenberg, is that you ?

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

what?

 

[Zwiebelchen]

ha your such a slave to the man. I have a windows vista and windows 98 which both run better then windows 7 and 10.

it's the windows automatic updates which have viruses in them created by Microsoft to destroy perfectly functioning machines so you buy new ones

just tick, never update and your system will never have problems

if you are currently suffering from a slow system due to a recent update, then delete all windows updates and download, 'Wat remover'. suddenly your computer will be working like new again.

Uuuh, you are of the tinfoil-hat crowd, huh? Didn't see that coming.

But just so you know: the problem with the degrading performance comes from windows updates, yes, but this is not because of viruses but because of the iterative updating having to modify files instead of replacing an entire system structure.

That's why a fresh windows (updated by a service pack) will always be faster than an iteratively updated windows. It's like repairing your bike tires with patches vs. replacing the whole tire. Of course the latter runs smoother.

Also, registry clutter. But that's mostly a user error (by installing poorly constructed software).


And besides, virus makers LOVE the guys who do not install the critical windows updates...

 

[Ash]

Moved to computer tech.