Windows 10: Is This a FULLY Reliable Method to Recover from Ransomware?

That's the plan I'll use.
When I created the USB Recovery drive the computer was on Version 1709 (build 16299.64). A recovery drive with system files included should also include the OEM customizations of the machine that created it. It is capable of installing windows and all the vendor software. It is effectively a 'factory reset' drive specific to the PC that made it.

 

I'll still keep that option in mind as that is what I was planning to do. My friend doesn't do well on computers and that's why his wife's computer is in so much trouble. Even though a factory reset includes all the vendor software it now appears to me that I should do that just the same. If I do a clean install I'll probably get blamed because "it isn't the same": I've been through that many times over the years.

 

Thanks for that plan: it worked for me on my friends computer.

 

Hi Ken, I tried that when I had the opportunity to do so. When I did List disk, Disk 0 & Disk 1 showed up. However I couldn't select Disk 0. How could I have selected it?

 

Not sure, haven't seen a situation where you could not select and listed disk.

Did you get an error message?

After you select disk 0 did you try list disk again. Did one have an asterisk beside it.

 

That was my mistake: I hate to admit it but I tried doing the diskpart from within Windows.
I would also like to note I was in favor of a clean install but I did the factory reset so the owner couldn't complain "but it's not the same" if you know what I mean.