Recently encountered a problem that seems to bother many – my computer started acting strangely. Constant freezes, the graphics card humming like an airplane fan, and the CPU running at full capacity. It turned out to be a hidden miner. I decided to figure out how to find a miner on a PC and share what I learned.

First, a little about what we are dealing with. Miner viruses are Trojan programs that secretly infiltrate the system and use your computer's power to mine cryptocurrency. There are two types: cryptojacking (a built-in script on an infected website) and a classic virus file that installs and runs every time the PC is turned on. Both are unpleasant, but the classic virus is more dangerous – it can not only mine but also steal data.

How did I realize I was infected with a miner? It’s simple. The graphics card constantly overheats, the CPU freezes, and RAM is full. Plus, the browser started lagging, and I noticed that the internet was consuming data strangely fast. These are typical symptoms. If you see unfamiliar processes in Task Manager (like asikadl.exe or some strange names), that’s a red flag.

Now, the main thing – how to find a miner on a PC yourself. I started with an antivirus, ran a full scan. Simultaneously, I opened CCleaner to clean junk. That helped, but not completely. Then I decided to dig deeper.

It turns out some miners add themselves to trusted programs, and antivirus doesn’t see them. So I had to check the registry manually. Press Win+R, type regedit, and start searching for suspicious processes with Ctrl+F. If you enter the name of the malicious task in the search, you can see where it’s hiding. Usually, they have random names made of symbols.

But the most effective method I found is the Task Scheduler. Win+R, then taskschd.msc – and you see all the tasks that run automatically. Some of them are clearly suspicious. I checked each, looked at triggers (when they start) and actions (what they do). Anything activated on startup and with a strange name is a potential threat.

When I found suspicious tasks, I disabled them with a right-click. After that, the CPU immediately started working normally. Then I deleted the found files and rebooted.

There’s also a program called AnVir Task Manager – it helps to check startup items more thoroughly. And if regular methods don’t work, you need Dr. Web or a similar antivirus with deep system scan.

To protect yourself in the future, I now regularly check how to find a miner on a PC, even if I suspect nothing. Plus, I installed a reliable antivirus with constant updates, work with the firewall enabled, avoid visiting dubious sites without SSL certificates (look for https in the address bar), and blocked JavaScript in the browser. AdBlock and uBlock also help.

Important advice: never run programs as administrator if you’re not sure about them. If a miner gets those rights, removing it will be much harder. And yes, I periodically restore Windows – every 2-3 months. It’s like a reboot for the health of your computer.

Honestly, the best protection is attentiveness. Check programs before downloading, don’t open suspicious links, and don’t give unnecessary permissions to applications. If you do find something suspicious, now you know how to find a miner on a PC and what to do with it. The main thing – don’t panic and act systematically.