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#21
Thanks Slartybart,
I also read when Google'ing rootkits that the preferred way out is a format and re-install. That helped push me to just bite the bullet and do that. I followed exactly the guide you posted above. To be sure, I even created partitions, formatted them, deleted them again a few times on that setup screen before proceeding to the next step with just a single partition. Not sure if that would make any difference but I did it anyway :). The OS is on an SSD [128GB] and I also low level formatted the HDD in the machine, both before and after installing the OS again - that took a while.
Anyway, Have loaded up the OS, MB drivers and Graphics drivers again last night. PC has not been online yet so next is to let Windows update run and install the 100's of MB's of updates before I start loading his games back. Going to take it slowly.
Obviously I will install Bit Defender again (not that it helped much with this last problem but in fairness, the rootkit may have had the door opened to it by a naïve 7-year old) and I suppose installing Malwarebytes is also a good idea? Is there any other applications you would recommend installing to improve detection/prevention of infection in the first place? I know that more than one AV package on a system can cause trouble.