New virus (Windows Copypasta)
(rant) (linux) (windows)
Have you heard of the new Computer virus? The virus is called Windows, and while not itself new, A new strain is even more dangerous than the last.
It installs bloat on your PC that slows down your CPU and uses almost half of your ram, and installs spyware that tracks your every keystroke. But the worst part is that you have to pay 100 to change your desktop background and another 100 to use office programs, and remove ads on startup. Most people assume there old computers have gotten slow, when a worsening Windows infection is to blame.
There are many versions of the Windows virus, but the most common one is “Windows 10” with “Windows 11” quickly catching up. Windows is very dangerous as many normal people don’t know that it is a virus, and it backdoors your system allowing thousands of other viruses in. (The only way to stop this is by installing paid software like Avast.)
Prevalence
What is worse is that the virus is very common, infecting oven 74% of desktops and 28% of all devices, making the most prevalent virus.
In fact, lots of computers come with the virus from the factory!
Testing
At this point, you might be wondering if your device is infected with the Windows virus. Fortunately, the virus is quite easy to notice, just look for these indicators:
Computer hot when idle (Very common effect on older devices)
Name of drive changed to C:\ (Universal)
Some variant of the 4 flags/squares logo on your screen during boot. (Universal)
High ram usage when idle. (>1GB)
“Activate Windows: Go to settings to activate Windows” watermark in bottom right of screen. (If you have not paid)
Other virus infection. (Most viruses use Windows to infect your system)
Ads on boot and in start menu
If your computer shows more than 2-3 of these, you probably have windows.
To be sure go to Start Menu -> Run, type winver and hit enter. If you have
a windows infection, you should get a window with some information such as version.
Removal
Because of the viruses very deep embedding in your PC, removal can be quite challenging and requires a substantial amount of work to remove (and a USB drive, just a 4 GB will do).
First, make sure you have backups of important data, this can be done on the same USB as used to install it, but the backups must be made after step #4.
Download the latest version of Rufus, (https://rufus.ie/en/#download), This tool can bypass the virus’s self protection measures.
Download a clean system from (https://linuxmint.com/download.php).
Run Rufus (as administrator) and select the downloaded .iso file and USB drive. Select “iso” mode when prompted.
If you want to use the same drive for backups and installing, copy then files now. If you have a separate drive, verify you backups are readable.
Restart your PC and enter the setup menu. This is done by pressing the “BIOS key” while the computer is turning on. (The key is sometimes shown during boot. If not, use the internet to find the key.)
Go thru the menu looking for these options (Names can very) (Don’t worry, you cant break anything):
Secure boot: Should be disabled to prevent windows from protecting itself
EFI over USB/USB Boot: Should be enabled
OS Optimized defaults: Disabled or set to other
Boot order: Move “USB HDD” or the name of your drive to the top, enabling if needed. (This may require a second reboot)
Select “Exit, saving settings” or similar option and you should be greeted with the linux mint logo (stylized ’m’). If you are not make sure the options are set right values, or get help from a friend.
Select “Try Linux mint”, and make sure that all the hardware you rely on works fine. (Windows infections often cause hardware not work properly without the virus.)
Finally you can run the installer. (It has adequate explanation)
You probably want to select the “Use entire disk” to remove all traces of the virus from your system.
When prompted, remove the drive and reboot, you should now have removed the Windows virus.
After the initial setup, you are done. Make sure to install updates (this can be done from the settings screen), to keep viruses out.
Congratulations, you now have a Windows free system. If this was an older computer, you will likely be amazed by how fast it is without windows.
Use FOSS and be safe.
— Feel free to share this copypasta, atribuition not required.