Mining and cryptocurrencies are actively gaining popularity every year. New applications and programs are being created on this topic, and they are not always useful. One of the newest examples is a hidden mining malware. The main problem is that there are no developed strategies to combat such software, and the available information is ambiguous and not systematized. We tried to put everything together and figure out how to remove the miner from the computer.
Methods of finding and removing hidden miners.
What is a hidden miner
First you need to understand well what is a miner and how it works. Hidden miners (botnets) - a software system that allows mining without the knowledge of the user. In other words, a set of programs appears on a computer that use PC resources to make money and transfer them to the creator of malicious applications. The popularity of this trend is growing, and at the same time, offers to sell viruses are growing. The main purpose of botnets are office computers, since the benefit of developers directly depends on the number of infected PCs. That is why it is not easy to recognize miners. Most often, the virus can be “picked up” by downloading content from unverified sources. Spam e-mails are also popular. Before proceeding to search and delete, let's look at all the intricacies and dangers of such software.
What is the danger of a hidden miner
In general, the work of the miner-bot is similar to a regular virus: it also “pretends” to be a system file and overloads the system, constantly downloading and downloading something. Its main difference from virus programs is that the miners goal is not to harm the system, but to use it for their own purposes. The processor is constantly overloaded, as it extracts the cryptocurrency to the creator of the software. And the biggest problem is that standard antivirus programs cannot identify the problem and find a miner on the computer. You have to fight the bots yourself. It is necessary to “track down” the file in the registries and processes, to carry out complex manipulations on its complete removal, and this is not always easy for the average user. Plus, the developers have learned how to create invisible programs that can’t be tracked through the task manager. In the depths of the system files there will also be a backup source, allowing the program to recover in case of detection by an antivirus program or manual removal. So how to recognize and remove such software?
Due to the complexity of detection, it is necessary to rely on their own feelings. Miners noticeably overload the system, due to which the computer starts to slow down. This also affects the technical component of the PC: the processor, video card, RAM, and even the ventilation system suffer. If you hear that your cooler is constantly running at the limit - it is worth considering whether you picked up a miner. In addition, we add that stealth miners easily steal user data, including passwords from accounts and e-wallets.
Find and delete
Having found out that hidden mining will not bring to good, we proceed to the operation “find and destroy”.
How to detect a miner
If your suspicions have crept in, do the following:
- Check the operation of the computer on the minimum CPU;
- We look at what happens when fully loaded (you can open a demanding game);
- We launch AIDA64 and check the load on the processor and video card. You can also use applications like Process Explorer or AnVir Task Manager, which even detect hidden processes.
Comparing all the data, you can notice an inexplicable overload of the computer. We remind you that in some cases it makes no sense to open the task manager, since the miner bots are immediately turned off.
ATTENTION. some mining programs turn off the controller after a while. If you opened it, and he disconnected himself - this is also an indicator.Also pay attention to download a web browser. Some miners operate through certain sites, which increases the processor load, taking into account an open browser, even if you are not doing anything there.
Removing miner from computer
After checking for malware, proceed to eliminate it. This can be done in several ways, including without the help of third-party programs to detect miners. Important: remove manually only if you are absolutely sure that you have found the miner.
- We try to find the file through the Task Manager - Details or through the above-mentioned programs for viewing PC processes.
- We close all kinds of processes, except those necessary for the OS to work. The remaining ones are checked in turn. We are looking for a process with an incomprehensible set of random characters in the name.
- Having detected a suspicious file disguised as system updates, we launch a search engine. We look that opens when trying to download the file.
- We find matches in the registry by pressing regedit and pressing Ctrl + F to search. Delete. You can additionally clean the registry using, for example, CCleaner.
- Reboot the PC and evaluate the changes in the load.
You can try to resort to using antivirus software. Older versions, of course, do not correct the situation, but some have a sufficient set of utilities for finding hidden miners. For example, Dr.Web CureIt, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Junkware Removal Tool.
If it was not possible to detect the miner, but you are sure that it is there - use the AVZ program. There you need to make an update and run "System Investigation" At the exit you will receive an avz_sysinfo.htm file with which you can go to the forum and ask for the help of specialists. Perhaps you get a script that runs through the same AVZ and thereby solve the problem. Also a simple reinstallation of the operating system will help.
Prevention methods
As they say, problems are easier to avoid than to solve them. But to completely protect yourself from miners will not work. Any operating system involves the installation of all kinds of software and its removal, which overwhelms the registry and causes disruptions in the PC. Even remote programs save individual files in the registry, due to which various viruses are masked. The correct solution is to use portable software. This will save your registry from unnecessary clogging and free the processor. Also a useful program is WinPatrol Monitor. The application notifies about the attempts of files to get into the registry without the user's knowledge.
Summing up, I want to say the following. Do not "hammer" on your computer! If you notice any changes in the work, do not be lazy to find out the reason. Many users prefer to simply lower the settings in their favorite game, rather than trying to understand why it became uncomfortable to play. All this is fraught with unpleasant consequences, not only in terms of the OS, but also for the operation of the technology itself. Have you encountered miner bots and how did you fight them? Describe your experience in the comments.