Someone is connecting to my computer.
Someone is connecting to my computer.
The issue began two days ago when I downloaded something that might have a virus. On the 13th, I received an email warning of suspicious activity from my PC, mentioning access from another country. Today I discovered my Microsoft account had been compromised. What steps should I take?
Did you open any of the links in the email? After doing so, did you type in your Microsoft username and password? If you said yes to either question, you might have been targeted by a phishing attempt rather than malware. Follow @DoctorNick’s advice (Windows probably doesn’t require wiping it, but it’s better to be cautious). Next time, treat every email as potentially harmful until you’re sure it’s legitimate. Also, update the password for any account sharing the same email and password as your Microsoft account.
The message received was from Google, not Microsoft. It was a genuine notification from Google.
The email has been updated, making it impossible to alter the password. I’ve reached out to Microsoft, but they’ve deemed my details as “insufficient.” I’ll attempt this again later.
Change your passwords on all other accounts that was used on the PC. Yes gotta keep trying. Might wanna get some documentation. if you got an email notifying you that the email was changed for example.
To confirm the malware is completely eliminated, you’ll need to thoroughly reset your PC. On another machine, download the Media Creation Tool for Microsoft and install Windows 10 or 11 onto a USB stick. Also, obtain the BIOS file for your motherboard and save it on the same drive. Begin by updating the BIOS on your motherboard—it should clear any malicious code embedded in the firmware. Once that’s done, avoid connecting Windows to the system; if you can’t confirm the reboot will bring it into BIOS, remove the Windows drive before proceeding. After the update finishes, follow the next phase based on what data remains. If no critical files are present, switch your boot settings to load from the USB stick containing Windows. Otherwise, restart, disconnect the original drive, and reconnect it. Return to BIOS, set the USB as the first boot option, then launch the Windows installation from there. If you have vital information, prepare a Linux LiveUSB on a different computer—preferably Linux—to safely erase everything before reinstalling Windows. Alternatively, create a Linux partition on a separate drive and transfer your data there. After that, reinstall Windows completely, wiping the old drive. If only one flash drive is available, prioritize getting the BIOS file first, then choose between a Linux LiveUSB or a fresh Windows installation. Without a backup drive, you’ll need to purchase or borrow another storage device to hold your important files. You might split the Linux USB into a smaller partition for the OS and keep the rest for system data, transferring everything to the new drive before using it as boot media. However, modern malware can alter BIOS settings, potentially reinstalling itself during a fresh Windows setup. Without also clearing the firmware, you can’t be certain all threats are removed.
When you set up Windows 11 through Microsoft's servers, it should identify your motherboard and overall setup, then automatically reactivate once it's fully installed and online. I don't suggest obtaining Windows 11 from any other source besides Microsoft. If you can't pay for a license, consider running it unactivated temporarily—just avoid downloading cracked versions, as they could hide unknown issues or malware.