How to Remove a Virus Miner from Your PC: A Complete Guide to Removal and Protection

While surfing the internet, a computer can become infected with a hidden virus for cryptocurrency mining. Removing the miner from the PC can be challenging, as modern malware actively hides from standard antivirus software. Let’s look at how to detect infection and effectively eliminate this threat.

What is a mining virus

A miner on the computer is a type of malware from the Trojan group that secretly uses the system’s computational resources to mine cryptocurrency. This virus infiltrates Windows unnoticed and begins to operate in the background, taxing the CPU and GPU. The user often remains unaware of the infection’s presence until the PC starts to noticeably slow down.

There are two main types of such threats. Cryptojacking is a script embedded in a website that activates upon visiting the infected page. This type of miner does not require installation and is the hardest to detect. Classic mining virus is a full-fledged malicious application that is installed on the disk and launched automatically when the PC is turned on.

Miner on the computer: how to tell if the system is infected

To remove the miner, you first need to recognize its presence. Pay attention to the following signs:

• Sudden slowdown of the system. If your laptop or PC has started to lag without apparent reasons, check the CPU load through the task manager. A reading above 60% with no active applications is a warning signal.

• Overheating of the GPU. The GPU makes loud noises (the cooler is running at maximum) and becomes very hot. You can check the GPU load with the free utility GPU-Z.

• Increased RAM consumption. The virus takes up all available resources, including RAM.

• Growing traffic consumption. The hidden miner constantly sends data, especially if it’s part of a botnet for DDoS attacks.

• Browser problems. Tabs close spontaneously, connections drop, pages load slowly.

• Unknown processes in the task manager. Look for suspicious programs with names like “asikadl.exe” or random letter combinations.

• Spontaneous deletion of files or changes to settings without the user’s consent.

If you notice at least two or three of these signs, urgently check your system.

Ways to remove the mining virus from the PC

Automatic scanning and cleaning

Start by running a quality antivirus. Although some miners are resistant to it, most are detected and removed at the first stage. After the antivirus scan, run CCleaner or a similar tool to clear the cache and temporary files. Finish the process by restarting the computer.

Searching the Windows registry

Advanced miners sometimes add themselves to the registry as trusted applications. To perform a manual search:

1. Press the Win+R combination
2. Type regedit and hit Enter
3. Use Ctrl+F to open the search
4. Enter the name of the suspicious process (for example, “asikadl”)
5. Delete all found entries
6. Restart

Checking through Task Scheduler

Many mining viruses set themselves to autostart through the scheduler. Follow these steps:

1. Open the command prompt Win+R
2. Type taskschd.msc
3. Go to the “Task Scheduler Library” section
4. Review all tasks, paying attention to those that launch when the PC is turned on
5. Click on the suspicious task and check the “Triggers” and “Actions” tabs
6. Disable unknown processes (right click → “Disable”), then delete them

For more detailed analysis of the autostart, use the free utility AnVir Task Manager.

Deep system scan

If standard methods don’t help, install a specialized antivirus like Dr. Web. This tool performs a deep scan and finds hidden components of the mining virus that other programs might have missed.

Prevention: how to protect the PC from hidden mining

Reliable protection starts with prevention:

• Update the system. Every 2-3 months, reinstall a clean copy of Windows or use the system restore function.

• Keep your antivirus updated. Regularly update the virus signature databases.

• Check downloaded files. Research the program information before downloading and always scan downloaded files with antivirus.

• Use a firewall. Keep the built-in or third-party firewall enabled. Set restrictions on port usage in the antivirus menu.

• Strengthen access control. Do not perform actions as an administrator unless necessary. Use the secpol.msc utility to create a policy for trusted applications.

• Protect the router. Set a complex password on the router, disable remote access and device discovery.

• Block dangerous sites. Add known sources of infection to the hosts file (lists are available on GitHub).

• Disable JavaScript in the browser. This will prevent malicious scripts from running through web pages.

• Enable built-in protection. In the Chrome browser, activate mining protection in the “Privacy and security” section.

• Install blocking extensions. Use AdBlock, uBlock, and similar tools to filter out malicious content.

• Require security certificates. Only visit sites with SSL certificates (address starts with https).

• Limit the rights of other users. Prevent other users on the PC from installing programs and changing system settings.

• Set a Windows password. This will prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

A combination of these measures significantly reduces the risk of infection. However, if a mining virus does make its way onto the PC, remember: the sooner you detect and remove it, the less damage the hardware will incur.