I got SPORA ransomware on a 'new' machine - is there hope?

Thank you for reading this folks!

I have purchased a really nice refurbished laptop for my husband, HP Windows 7 Prof 64bit, 8gb RAM etc. Was just setting it up last night and...

I have a BIG problem that is partly [mostly?] my own fault. Being a fairly experienced PC user & using the Internet for almost 20 years I thought I'd never get hoodwinked into clicking an unsafe page/link but today it happened as I was setting up the laptop with my preferred programmes & settings.

I haven't used Chrome for a while & when I went to get an app I like called 'cleanup!' [Stephen Gould's freeware 4.5.2] The Chrome page prompted me to restore/download a Chrome font. Hoefler font and it really looked like a standard Chrome page

Long story short, I fell victim to SPORA ransomware like a silly sod. Spora Ransomware Works Offline, Has the Most Sophisticated Payment Site as of Yet

I found & deleted the actual malware with HitmanPro Alert when even Malwarebytes couldn't find it, & the only files encrypted as far as I can tell are the 'sample' pictures as it was a 'new' machine with no .doc files etc. at all yet. On every restart Chrome &/or IE are displaying the Spora ransomware page.

So it's done its work and encrypted a few files I don't even need. I don't really want to pay to get rid of these scumbags' webpage. Would anything work to delete their encrypted files which I don't even need, and stop their ransom demand page?

Many thanks in advance, Jools

torchwood said:

Hi Joolz,

Whats on the COA sticker please, just the description NOT the key.
AGAIN DO NOT POST THE KEY.


Roy

Hi Roy, many thanks for your help.

There is no COA sticker, just a 'Windows 7' sticker & Intel sticker. It's a refurb ex-business laptop.

Edited to add: I am in touch with the (reputable) Ebay seller so he may be able to send me a disc. But I am wondering if I might just have to chalk it up to experience and bin the machine! £170 is a blow but not too much to get peace of mind?

torchwood said:

Hi Joolz,
someone got lazy by the sounds of it, Its only been serviced, Refurbs have thier own sticker, and are marked as such, try looking in the battery compartment.//

Found it in the battery compartment!

It says [from top to bottom]:

Windows 7 Pro OA
HP
<BARCODE> 584048-001
<product key>
<BARCODE> <more numbers>
<more numbers>

I am also downloading the .iso you linked to as you advised. Many thanks.