I recently encountered a problem that, it turns out, worries many people — a hidden cryptocurrency miner virus on the computer. I noticed that the PC started acting strangely, the graphics card was humming without reason, and the CPU was constantly overloaded. It turned out that a cryptominer was using my machine in the background. I had to figure out how to remove the miner from my PC and prevent this from happening in the future.

Malicious miner programs are essentially trojans that secretly infiltrate the Windows system and start mining cryptocurrency, using your computer or laptop's resources. There are two types: one exists as an embedded script on infected websites (cryptojacking), and the other is a full-fledged file installed like a regular program. The second type is usually easier to deal with.

The most unpleasant thing is that standard antivirus software doesn't always detect it. I noticed several obvious signs of infection: the graphics card started making loud noise due to intensive fan operation and became hot, the computer began to lag, the CPU was running at 70-80%, and RAM was filled up without visible reason. I also noticed strange pop-up windows and browser slowdown.

The first thing I did was scan the computer with antivirus software. Then I ran CCleaner to clean up system junk. But that wasn't enough. I had to dig deeper.

For manual search, I opened the registry via Win+R and entered regedit. I looked for suspicious processes with strange names — usually just a string of characters. I used Ctrl+F to search. When I found several suspicious entries, I deleted them and rebooted. But the problem returned.

Then I tried using the Task Scheduler (Win+R, then taskschd.msc). In the Task Scheduler library, I found processes that launched automatically when turning on the PC. I checked the triggers and actions — there were clearly malicious tasks. I disabled them, then removed them from startup. This helped, but the virus was still in the system.

When I figured out how to completely remove the miner from my PC, I had to use a more powerful tool — Dr. Web. This program performs a deep system scan and finds even well-hidden viruses. It helped eliminate the remnants of the malware.

After removal, I created an image of a clean Windows system and now restore it periodically (about every 2-3 months). This helps prevent malware buildup in the system.

To protect myself in the future, I took several measures. First, I always work with antivirus and firewall enabled. Second, before downloading files, I check information about the program — reviews about viruses can often be found before installation. Third, I blocked JavaScript in the browser (although this slightly hampers website functionality, but security is more important). Fourth, I installed AdBlock and uBlock extensions to filter suspicious content.

Another important point — I do not visit dubious sites without an SSL certificate (look for the https icon). I set a complex password on my router and disabled remote access. I also set a password on Windows itself so no one else can use the PC without permission.

Important advice: never run programs as an administrator unless you are sure of their origin. If a virus-miner gains such rights, removing it will be much more difficult.

Now I know how to remove a miner from a PC at different stages of infection. If you notice signs — slow performance, overloaded graphics card, strange processes in Task Manager — don’t delay checking. The earlier you act, the more chances you have to save your system without reinstalling Windows.