Recently, I noticed an interesting trend in the crypto community – people are increasingly complaining about computer problems after visiting certain websites. It turns out that during normal online browsing, you can catch a hidden mining virus that will start using your PC's power to mine cryptocurrency. And the worst part is – antivirus software isn't always effective against such nastiness.

I figured out the topic and want to share how to check your PC for miners so you don't end up with an infected machine. Miner viruses belong to the Trojan group – they stealthily infiltrate the system and start consuming your hardware resources. There are two main types: cryptojacking (a script embedded in websites) and a classic virus file that installs itself without your consent.

What happens when the system is infected? The graphics card starts making crazy noise, the CPU is loaded at 60-80%, and the laptop slows down to the point of being unusable. Especially sad is that such background mining accelerates hardware wear and tear – laptops can fail literally after a few hours of intense virus activity.

How to check your PC for miners yourself? The first sign is GPU overload. If the GPU is making loud noise and feels hot to the touch, that's already a reason to check the system. Also, pay attention to slow performance, increased RAM usage, and strange processes in the task manager with names like asikadl.exe.

The simplest way is to run a good antivirus and perform a full scan. After that, be sure to use CCleaner or an equivalent tool to clean out all the junk from the system. But there's a nuance: some new miners add themselves to the trusted programs list, and regular antivirus software might not detect them.

If you want a more in-depth check, open the registry via Win+R and type regedit. Then press Ctrl+F to search for suspicious processes. They often have names made up of random characters. Also, check the Task Scheduler (Win+R, then taskschd.msc) – there might be hidden tasks that run when the PC starts. If you find something strange, disable or delete that task.

For more complex cases, there are specialized programs like Dr. Web or AnVir Task Manager – they perform deep system scans and find what standard antiviruses miss.

Now about protection. First, regularly update your antivirus databases and restore a Windows image every 2-3 months if possible. Second, always verify program information before downloading and scan downloaded files with antivirus. Third, work with the firewall enabled and avoid running actions as an administrator unless necessary.

A few more useful tricks: block JavaScript in your browser (this will stop browser-based mining), enable mining protection in Chrome (under Privacy and Security), set a strong password on your router and Windows, avoid visiting sites without SSL certificates (look for the https icon). If you take security seriously, install filters like AdBlock or uBlock.

How to check your PC for miners before critical work? An hour before an important task, run a quick antivirus scan, check CPU load in the task manager, and make sure the processor is running at normal levels. If everything looks fine – you can relax. But if you notice strange behavior, it's better to spend time on a deep scan than to later restore the system or lose important data.