I just got that call...

You can scan all you want, but your cousin is now on their sucker list and the problems will continue.

What do you think it will take him to learn?

whs said:

Hmm, if someone does not know anything, that's bad. But if that person cannot learn, that's worse.

Sure, you can scan the external with any scanner - Mbam, SAS, BitDefender scanner, etc. You just have to make the proper scanner setup. Here is the Mbam example:

I've been having trouble with Malwarebytes, it keeps "not responding" when I try to do a scan. Maybe related to whomever took control of the computer. Maybe a reinstall of Mbam will fix this issue.

PSCO2007 said:

You can scan all you want, but your cousin is now on their sucker list and the problems will continue.

What do you think it will take him to learn?

While I'm doing a clean install I'll try and explain it to him again that it was fake and they are just thieves. There will be only two users on the computer, him and his wife. The kids won't be using it (or so I'm told).

whs said:

I would install a Linux distro for him. That's a lot safer and the bad guys have no handle on him.

He has trouble using Windows. Linux will really complicate things and there are some programs he uses and I don't think there are Linux versions available.

The system from hell...

Tried reinstalling Windows, it would get stuck at the EULA screen, you couldn't click anything. Took the computer to my house. Burned the ISO again and this time it works. Tried DBAN and I kept getting an error. Finally got Windows to install and it hung before getting to the desktop. Removed the video card and used the built in VGA. Reinstalled Windows and then I installed the video card and drivers. Installing updates now and I'm going to make a system image and a repair disk.

What a headache!

Update:
Got the computer back to his house and working, sort of. The mouse was acting up where it wouldn't click on anything and sometimes it would (I had to run home and get my mouse/keyboard so i could install his printer and other software). He'll be buying a new mouse/keyboard.