[Buccaneer]

My aunt has an HP15 laptop with a Pentium N3540 processor, 4GB ram, and a 500 GB hard drive.

It was running Win10.

I have the computer here in my office.

She told me that while she was using it last week, a message popped up that said that unless she sent $300 right away, the laptop would be disabled.

When you first turn it on, you get the HP splash-screen and a message that it is "attempting automatic repair."

Then: "diagnosing your PC."

Then an Automatic Repair screen that says: "Your PC did not start correctly."

The options on that screen are "Restart" or "Advanced Options." 

 

If you hit restart you eventually end up at a screen that asks for a password; there was no password on this laptop/

I have not tried the "Advanced Options" choice.

 

Thanks in advance for any help !

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Click on Advanced Options then on System Restore.  Pick a date before the incident.

[RKinner]

Click on Advanced Options then on System Restore.  Pick a date before the incident.

[Buccaneer]

I'm now stuck in an endless cycle of starting, seeing just the HP logo, then shutting off and starting again.   =(

Edited by Buccaneer, 06 August 2016 - 02:53 PM.

[RKinner]

Was that after a system restore attempt?

 

Have you tried F11 or F12 when you see the logo?  That's supposed to open a menu for troubleshooting and a factory Restore.

 

Does she have something  on the laptop that she wants to keep?  (Pictures & such)  if not a reset to Factory default should solve the problem.

 

If she has stuff she wants to keep you can boot from a CD or USB drive.  We recommend AVG's Recovery disk:

 

http://www.geekstogo...ystem-tutorial/

 

That should allow you to scan for malware and also copy any files she wants to keep (if they haven't been encrypted) to a USB drive.

[Buccaneer]

Thank you.

I started up, hit F11, and was presented with with a RESET option.

I chose to save nothing [back to factory default would be fine with me] and it is now "resetting."

I will update you when that process is finished

[Buccaneer]

They reset process got to 37% and then stopped.

The on screen message says: There was a problem resetting your PC.

The only option is Cancel

[RKinner]

Sounds like it was ransomware and that it got to the restore files.  You may have to contact HP and have them send you a set of DVDs.  

[Buccaneer]

I do have a spare Win7 DVD laying around with an unused COA.

Would that maybe work ?

[RKinner]

Should work.