Windows 10 problem

Linux Mint
1

Hi

I have witnessed the impossible.

A family member has a W10 laptop, and I believe it is compromised.

On Saturday I used Linux Mint Live to chntpw and reset her level back to ‘user’ and set a new password. Also set the inbuilt admin account password to something only I knew, this was done offline.

I then shrank the c: drive and made a 30 gig D: and 30 gig linux mint install.
I did connect an ethernet cable to run updates etc for a few minutes.

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Today the ‘user’ was set at ADMIN level and my admin password, I had to look it up as it was quite long and quite strong, DID NOT WORK.

As mint was installed I have reset again. Then deleting files using Mint, I cleared all of the 2025 ““edge”” and 2024 ““edge”” files, and TWO re-appeared.

I thought that impossible.

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So now I want to examine the Main Board for permitted installers (my old HP had 3 - HP, MS and I added SuSE) but I am a little rusty and welcome any valid prompts, before backing up data and wiping the drive completely and doing a re-install.

So…

1 Like
2

So far…

mokutil --list-enrolled
[key 1]
Signature Algorithm: sha256WithRSAEncryption
Issuer: C=GB, ST=Isle of Man, L=Douglas, O=Canonical Ltd., CN=Canonical Ltd

mokutil --pk
[key 1]
Signature Algorithm: sha256WithRSAEncryption
Issuer: CN=Trust - Lenovo Certificate

TWO -kek’s for Microsoft

-db More MS and of course Joe’s-Software-Emporium.

So I have a yardstick from my Lenovo for comparison.

1 Like
3

Simple answer, drop windows completely, copy important data images etc off to another drive.
Install linux mint
Copy files back
Do a update
Install google chrome

Give back a faster, safer, clean system and that is a lesson in trying to do the impossible plus not sure if you get it working on windows 10 it will pass to 11, another problem.

Sorry like mint over windows.

2 Likes
4

Thanks

Understood.

The lady works from home and her employers put their stamp(s) on it.
Hopefully that wont happen but not under my control.

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5

If its a company machine best not touch it, take it back and get it systems to sort it…

Been there tried that in the past and just not worth it. Quite often there is locked files and settings, drive mapping its a real pain.

3 Likes
6

Yup, leave it and let them sort it out. If it’s owned by your family then do whatever you want, but removing windows is a good start :grin:

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