Refurb Dell-I killed it already

[brassburnz]

Bought a refurb Dell E6400 off of Yugster for $160. Came with a Windows 7 product key. Anyway, we use Google docs, so I downloaded Google chrome. I figured Windows Internet Security would keep me safe. WRONG

Got off the phone with Microsoft support and they ran a remote scan. My machine is full viruses! They offered to do a tune-up and virus wipe for $200. I said no thanks. I'll deal with it myself (with the help of Calguns).

So Calguns, what's my next step? Download an anti-virus program now and hope it can wipe the virus out? Get a new hard drive? Will I be able to activate Windows 7?

I work for a school district. If I ask nicely, they can re-image my hard drive and I can use my product key.

[HappyCamper781]

The quickest solution is a reimage with your product key. Practice safe browsing, there's no such thing as effective "internet protection" software, especially the bundled crap with most OS's.

[brassburnz]

The quickest solution is a reimage with your product key. Practice safe browsing, there's no such thing as effective "internet protection" software, especially the bundled crap with most OS's.

Can I re-image the drive myself? I don't know how to do that. If not, the IT guys at school can do it.

[SMR510]

Got off the phone with Microsoft support and they ran a remote scan. My machine is full viruses! They offered to do a tune-up and virus wipe for $200.

Does not sound like a legit phone conversation with Microsoft. Did they call you or did you call them?

I would just re install windows, you can easily download a ISO for the correct version and put it on a USB stick or burn it to a DVD. Mostly because the people you talked to on the phone probably have access to your system now.

[brassburnz]

Does not sound like a legit phone conversation with Microsoft. Did they call you or did you call them?

I would just re install windows, you can easily download a ISO for the correct version and put it on a USB stick or burn it to a DVD. Mostly because the people you talked to on the phone probably have access to your system now.

I called them. I've talked to them before on that same number and they were helpful with another problem.

Thanks for the info on the download. If I didn't have the product key I'd be more freaked out than I already am.

[spdtiger]

hey Ill buy it from you or if you like trade your for some 22lr ammo

[brassburnz]

I've been working on this thing since my first post, and I've finally got it fixed. I had to reinstall Windows 7 and use the product key. I found the info I needed from another thread. Someone suggested bleepingcomputer.com for a fix. I researched my problem and discovered that hitting F8 repeatedly at power up opens a window that let me repair Windows.

I followed the directions and was able to re-install Windows 7 and activate it with my product key.

I'm sure the Microsoft support people know about this fix, but telling customers about it doesn't make them any money. Good thing I'm cheap and a skeptic. Anyway, the education was well worth the frustration.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Your aggregate knowledge helped me figure out how to solve the problem.

spdtiger, thanks for the offer, but I got tons of .22 around here.

[stilly]

You most likely can NOT image it yourself. If they use PXE images anyways. An image means you need ghost or something else with a previous image.

At this point wiping might be the best. Just get a Windows 7 disk and do a fresh install using your key.

Asking people at the school district to image your system could present problems, like a foreign node on the network. Then you will have to break from the domain, create a new user account, make a new admin PW, and remove all software that is using their license keys. (office and windows).

It is very simple for you to just wipe it out and restart.

[billofrights]

In the future if you end up having to reinstall Windows PM me, I can supply the disc and a valid product key, and walk you through how to do it.

[The Last American Hero]

I got burned on a "refurb" PC sold by a mom&pop brick and mortar store.

If I'd found it in a dumpster it would be able to 'phone home' to H-P "Global" and get all its software all self-fixed no charge, no problem, unlimited times.

But "refurb" only meant it is an "orphan" now "unknown" to H-P but still "proprietary" so total WORST OF BOTH WORLDS.

Took me a few hours and days to understand how screwed I was.

Even if H-P world headquarters was nuked in the USA a dumpster-find PC would be GTG and download from H-P Australia or somewhere.

My advice: cut your losses. Don't invest time putting "stuff" on this PC. You will only suffer more later.

[stilly]

The only problem with this refurb is that it is a DELL and DELL is known for chopping up their comps to make them unupgradeable (no new mobo, no more expansion ports, not much upgrading of internals and no adding things cept maybe 1 hd.) They also like to mess the mobo in some weird fashion so no new case will also fit it...

I hate dell actually I hate them all, but Dell specifically, and their tech support in microindonesia or whatever blows too. Damn injuns treat EVERYBODY like they are noob users...

HP is slightly better, but they SUCK for warranties. The city had an HP system and it had a WD blue drive that was already repaced once. The warranty expired in mid 2013 but the HD was from jan 2014, on the WD website they say that componet HD has 2 year warranty, but retail has 5 year I think. Well, HP would not replace the drive and WD said to call HP because they were not going to replace it. So we have a 1 year old WD drive that had an URE and nobody wanted to replace it. They can all suck it. I hate WD and HP for that.

Anyways, if the software is the ONLY issue, then just reload windows 7... So simple.

[freonr22]

i have a refurb lenovo ive been super happy with...

[Wallabing]

Run these in order:

1. Rkill (Make sure it finds nothing before moving on) - Checks and cleans any malware from RAM
2. Tdsskiller -Checks and cleans any malware from the boot sector
3. Malwarebytes anti malware scan
4. Avast free edition boot scan (Will take about an hour) -Runs before your operating system loads up, very high removal rate

[The Last American Hero]

Run these in order:

1. Rkill (Make sure it finds nothing before moving on) - Checks and cleans any malware from RAM
2. Tdsskiller -Checks and cleans any malware from the boot sector
3. Malwarebytes anti malware scan
4. Avast free edition boot scan (Will take about an hour) -Runs before your operating system loads up, very high removal rate

Avast boot scan just saved me, too.

Then a few resets to earlier date before certain Windows updates, then let the updates re-happen.

[brassburnz]

In the future if you end up having to reinstall Windows PM me, I can supply the disc and a valid product key, and walk you through how to do it.

Thanks for the offer. Fortunately there was nothing on the drive I needed or couldn't be reinstalled and I was able to re-install the OS by resetting the hard drive using the F8 key on power up.

I coach a robotics team at school, but all of the district computers have so many level of user authorizations the robotics kids can't access the com ports in order to download programs. Also, because all of the laptops are imaged with the same programs, like Microsoft Office, a reading program, writing program, math program, etc, and tons of useless extensions, it takes 10 minutes to boot and load settings.

I needed a bare bones computer that would run RobotC. I don't need the internet. I don't need Microsoft Office or any of the other useless programs. We have a bunch of 8 year-old HP's running Windows XP that nobody wants that would be perfect for our needs, but they refuse to wipe the harddrive and remove the limited access to the com ports.

So I plunked down $160 of my own money to buy this one. I just have to remind myself and the kids not to download anything from the Net. I'll also train them to backup all their work. I just bought a 1.5 TB backup drive, so now I have a spare 500GB they can use. This thing only has a 160GB drive, so if this thing does get infected again, I'll just wipe the drive and start over again. I have disks and product keys for all the robotics software we run.

Thanks again for everyone's input. Dealing with this was a pain in the butt, but I knew the Calguns collective would have a solution!