Virus miner on PC: how to detect it and remove it completely

Noticed that your computer has become slower, the fan is running like a turbine, and the electricity bills have increased? There is a high likelihood that a miner has infiltrated your system – a malicious program that uses your PC’s resources to mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge. Getting rid of such a parasite is not easy, as it carefully masks itself from antivirus software. However, a solution exists, and we will guide you on how to remove the miner step by step.

Symptoms: how to detect a hidden miner on your computer

The first step towards saving your PC is to understand that it has been infected by a virus. Here are the signs to watch out for:

Hardware overloads:

• The graphics card is running at its limit: the cooler emits a piercing sound, the GPU feels hot to the touch. You can check the load using the free utility GPU-Z.
• The processor is constantly loaded at 60% or higher – open the Task Manager and check for processes with unfamiliar names like “asikadl.exe.”
• The RAM is filled up: the miner takes all available resources.

System behavior:

• The browser moves like a snail: freezes when opening tabs, connection drops.
• The PC suddenly restarts or shuts down.
• Files disappear, settings are reset, data is deleted without your consent.
• Internet traffic spikes: hidden mining requires constant connectivity.

Overall feelings:

• It’s become impossible to work – any operation lags.
• The Windows system behaves strangely: lags, freezes, unexpected actions.

If you notice at least two or three of these signs, it’s time to take action.

Two main types of mining viruses: classic and browser-based

To properly remove the miner, you need to understand what type of enemy you are dealing with.

Classic trojan miner

This is a full-fledged program that infiltrates the system unnoticed – often through pirated software or infected links. Once installed, it runs every time the PC is turned on and works in the background. Such a virus can be disguised as a harmless process and diligently hides from the Task Manager. Particularly harmful variants check the user’s wallets and steal funds.

Cryptojacking (browser miner)

This is a script embedded in an infected website. When you visit such a page, the script activates, and your graphics card begins working to mine cryptocurrency. The advantage of the virus is that it does not download to the disk – it only exists in the browser’s memory. Therefore, standard antivirus software does not detect it. However, when you close the browser, cryptojacking disappears.

How to remove a miner: step-by-step action plan

Step 1: Automatic cleanup

Step 1 – Scan with antivirus

Run a full system scan. The antivirus will find most known mining viruses. After scanning, remove all detected threats (click “Quarantine” or “Remove”).

Step 2 – Clean up system junk

After removing the virus, run Ccleaner (or a similar utility). It will remove remnants of the malware that may hinder the full recovery of the system. Restart your PC.

Step 3 – Check for remnants

Open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Check if the load on the processor and memory has normalized. If everything is fine – then the simple cleanup helped. If not – proceed to manual searching.

Step 2: Manual search and removal of the miner

Search in Windows Registry

1. Press Win+R and type regedit
2. The registry editor will open – press Ctrl+F
3. In the search box, enter the name of the suspicious process (for example, the name you noticed in the Task Manager)
4. The system will show all instances of this process
5. Delete all found entries (right-click → Delete)
6. Restart your PC

Check the Task Scheduler

Miners often add themselves to the startup through the scheduler:

1. Press Win+R and type taskschd.msc
2. Open the “Task Scheduler Library” folder
3. Look for tasks with suspicious names – usually a set of random characters
4. Click on the task and check the “Triggers” (when it runs) and “Actions” (what it does) tabs
5. If the task looks dangerous – disable it (right-click → Disable), and then delete it (Delete)

In-depth check with AnVir Task Manager

This free program automatically scans all startup processes and marks suspicious ones. Open it and delete everything marked as dangerous.

Step 3: Comprehensive cleanup

If the miner stubbornly refuses to leave, use specialized antivirus utilities:

• Dr. Web – performs a deep system check and removes complex trojans, including miners
• Kaspersky Rescue Disk – a bootable disk for checking “from scratch,” before Windows loads

It is recommended to create a restore point before running these tools.

Long-term protection: how to avoid getting a miner again

After successfully removing the miner, you need to build protection to prevent this from happening again.

Immediate measures (1-2 hours for setup):

• Install a fresh Windows image (reinstall the system if necessary)
• Update all installed programs and Windows to the latest versions
• Enable the built-in Windows firewall
• In the Chrome browser, activate the “Mining Protection” option (Settings → Privacy and security)

Current habits (daily):

• Before downloading any software, check reviews and the source
• Scan downloaded files with antivirus before launching
• Do not run applications as an administrator without necessity
• Avoid suspicious websites (look for the SSL/https icon in the address bar)
• Do not visit unfamiliar resources through random links

Advanced settings (once a month):

• Block JavaScript in the browser (this eliminates browser mining but may break functionality on some sites)
• Install AdBlock or uBlock extensions to filter out malicious scripts
• Add lists of dangerous sites to the hosts file (lists are available on GitHub)
• Restrict access to certain ports through firewall settings
• Set strict passwords on accounts and disable remote access

Network security (once):

• Set a strong password on the Wi-Fi router
• Disable the router’s discovery feature from the outside
• Prevent other users from searching and installing programs
• Use the secpol.msc utility to create a policy for limited software usage

Regular prevention (every 2-3 months):

• Check the system with antivirus in full mode
• If signs of infection are detected, initiate Windows recovery
• Clean the system from junk using Ccleaner

Taking care of your PC’s security is not a one-time action but a continuous habit. By following these recommendations, the likelihood of catching a miner decreases dramatically, and your computer will remain combat-ready.