Stuck in a malware loop

Hey, I've got a problem. Here's the timeline if anyone wants to take a look.

1) Tried running a Windows update, kept getting an error. Googled it and found this:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-83fcb80e8f2f. Tried the first fix, didn't work.

It’s pretty likely I messed something up while following those instructions.

2) Found a fix for the same issue on YouTube (). That worked, updates are installed now.

3) Now I'm trying to download programs, run installers, nothing works. The apps aren't anywhere to be found, I can't launch them, yet the system says they're already installed.

4) Then I notice my PC fans are going crazy. I open Task Manager to see what's happening, and suddenly CPU usage drops to 4-5% and the fans quiet down. As soon as I close Task Manager, the CPU spikes and the fans go nuts again.

5) Googled that specific behavior, and apparently, some viruses love doing that—hiding themselves so Task Manager won't show them.

6) Back to point 3). I'm trying to install an antivirus to scan the machine, but it tells me one is already installed. Again, I can't find it or run it.

7) Tried using Windows Security, but that's gone too. Or rather, I find it, but it's totally blank. No options, can't run any scans. https://ibb.co/0D4MnLS

Anyone realize what's actually happening here and how to fix it? I'm clearly not a genius.

Thanks!

You probably picked up some piece of junk and now your PC is basically just a glorified crypto miner. 🙂

If you don't mind a full Windows reinstall, that's usually the fastest way to deal with this mess.

If you feel like playing around, I'd say try making a bootable antivirus on a USB stick first, then boot from that to scan the whole system. Maybe try Norton:

https://www.kaspersky.com/downloads/...ee-rescue-disk

Honestly, when things get this messy, the safest, fastest, and easiest move is just to do a clean reinstall of Windows.

fadedorca66 and Hajduk, thanks. We'll give a Windows reinstall a shot then... Can I just use that Update & Security - Recovery - Reset this PC option? Is "Keep my files" enough, or am I gonna have to wipe everything?

It’d be pretty much perfect if I could just grab all my important files, whip up a bootable USB, wipe every single partition, and start from scratch...

Just a quick follow-up—everything’s running smooth now. I did a full backup, wiped everything off the C drive, and went through with a fresh Windows reinstall. Now? It’s performing better than it did when I first unboxed it.

Thanks!

Maybe just use some common sense from here on out and grab an antivirus 😁

fadedorca66 said:And maybe try using some actual brain cells and get an antivirus next time. 😁

Can someone break down that crypto-mining stuff for me? Like, how do you spot it, what are the red flags, and how do you stay safe?

fadedorca66 said:So from now on, just use your head and get some antivirus 😁

I didn't catch a single virus back when I was messing around online as a teenager, but apparently, I'm an easy target now that I'm just checking the news and the weather forecast. 😒

McAfee, right? You think it can actually hold its own against a basic tool like Malwarebytes?

Thomas Hughes14 said:Could you explain the whole mining thing for someone? Like, how do you spot it, what are the symptoms, how do you protect yourself and all that.

There are different kinds of these viruses, some are harder to catch than others. Usually, you'll just notice your laptop or PC suddenly getting loud because the fans are spinning way faster.

The "smart" ones won't max out your CPU at 100%; they might just sit at 25% or 50%. You're just browsing, the PC is a little noisy, but you don't think much of it since everything seems fine. Or maybe you hear the fan and open Task Manager, but the virus is programmed to kill itself the second you pull that up. 😁

There are tons of ways they do this. I guess even the author of this thread caught a pretty decent one that went as far as disabling his antivirus and hiding from Task Manager.

Paul Evans39 said:I didn't pick any up while messing around online as a teenager, but hey, I managed to get infected just by reading the news and checking the weather forecast. 😒

McAfee, huh? Won't that have issues running alongside something like Malwarebytes?

McAfee should be fine, I guess. It shouldn't clash with Malwarebytes. Personally, I'd just disable MB so it doesn't start up with the PC, then just run it manually once a month or something...

Ever stop and wonder why we’re basically forced to drop a ton of cash on beefier hardware every couple of years just to handle the same old IT tasks?

Look, I know this is a pretty heavy topic and I shouldn't be messing around when the mods are watching, but man... I just have to ask... doesn't it feel like we've all been stuck in some kind of endless loop of malware over the last year or so? 😬

Paul Evans39 said:I didn't bother downloading anything back when I was just surfing the web as a teenager, though it’s nice that I've finally gotten around to it now that my daily routine involves checking the news and looking at the weather forecast. ��

McAfee, huh? I wonder if it'll get into a scrap with a lightweight tool like Malwarebytes.

McAfee has quite a reputation for clashing with other antivirus tools and various other software; plus, its bloatware levels are pretty much on par with Norton Antivirus, which, frankly, I can only describe as 🤮. Personally, I’d rather just go with free Avast paired with free Malwarebytes and a ZoneAlarm firewall—that combination won't hog your system resources and gives you solid protection for zero dollars.

Picked up some malware from somewhere and couldn't clear it out without paying for an antivirus. Every free tool seems to stall right when it gets to the actual cleaning process, just to demand a monthly or yearly subscription. For now, Avast is doing the job just fine.

Douglas Gray8 said:I ended up catching some random malware from overseas and couldn't get rid of it without paying for an antivirus; every free tool I tried just hit a wall during the cleaning process and started asking for a monthly or yearly subscription. So far, Avast has been doing a decent enough job for me.

A real pro doesn't bother chasing down viruses; they just roll back to a healthy system state using a disk image backup. Once a system is compromised, it’s pretty much tainted forever, since there's never a 100% guarantee that fragments of that malware aren't still lurking somewhere on the drive, regardless of whether you're using a free or a paid antivirus program.

Jack Cook7 said:Have you ever really sat back and wondered why we find ourselves needing to drop a fortune on seemingly much more powerful hardware every few years just to handle the exact same IT tasks?

👍 Honestly, for some people out there, running Windows 2000 is still perfectly fine for what they need to get done.

driftingcanyon2 said:A true professional doesn't waste time trying to scrub viruses away; instead, they just roll everything back to a healthy system state using a clean disk image from a backup. Once a system gets infected, it’s compromised forever, because you can never be 100% sure that little fragments of that virus aren't lurking somewhere else on the drive despite whatever commercial or free Antivirus you might have running.

👍

In my experience, a real pro usually has all the right tools in place to stop an injection before it even starts, but if something does slip through the cracks, then wiping the drive or doing a fresh install of Windows is pretty much the only way to actually fix things properly.

driftingcanyon2 said:McAfee is notorious for clashing with other AV tools along with various other programs, and the bloatware is right up there with Norton Antivirus, which I can only describe as 🤮 . You’re better off grabbing free Avast plus free Malwarebytes plus ZoneAlarm; that combination won't eat your resources and gives you full protection for zero dollars.

That’s all nonsense for one day, or does anyone have anything else to toss in casually?😁

Only someone incredibly uninformed or a complete novice would run two or more active AV tools on Windows.

McAfee Security Cloud Free, when paired realistically with Norton Free antivirus, represents two of the most budget-friendly AV solutions out there—and they don't cost a dime. My recommendation leans toward McAfee, as it is a significantly better and more polished tool. Norton Free has limited options, and its interface is honestly garbage. McAfee is very lightweight, making it suitable for any modern computer or PC today. You won't even notice McAfee running on Windows, except for those moments when it catches some malware or flags something suspicious in today's web circus.

Saying Norton is overrated is a joke, but you're actually talking pure nonsense here. I wouldn't use or recommend Norton even if they paid me to.

McAfee will disable Windows Defender during installation, unless that pathetic Antivirus coming straight out of the Microsoft factory is somehow different. That is how it works by default; regardless of which Antivirus you install, it is going to shut down or put Windows Defender to sleep.

I use McAfee Security Cloud Free, and I wouldn't recommend that Avast junk to anyone under any circumstances.

On Windows, you don't need any special firewall; it doesn't offer much benefit and will only slow down your browsing. If you want, just leave Windows Firewall active, because a separate software firewall is nothing more than a useless gimmick.

Instead of rambling about specialized firewall software, we should highlight the essentials: Adblock in your browser is mandatory.Without it, pleasant and secure browsing isn't possible these days, yet plenty of people still don't use an Adblock tool at all.🍿

Andrew Miller102 said:It’s all just nonsense from that day, or do you have anything else to add on the fly?😁

Only someone completely clueless or totally ignorant would run two or more active AV tools at once on Windows.

McAfee Free, paired with Norton Free, are basically the cheapest ways to go since they don't cost a dime. Personally, I’d lean toward McAfee; it’s a much smoother and more refined tool. Norton has limited options, and honestly, its interface is a disaster. McAfee is very lightweight, so it runs fine on any modern PC or laptop. You won't even notice McAfee running on Windows unless it catches some malware or flags something suspicious while you're browsing the web.

Saying Norton is overrated is one thing, but what you wrote is just pure nonsense. I wouldn't use or recommend Norton even if they paid me.

During installation, McAfee will disable Windows Defender, or whatever subpar antivirus came out of the Microsoft factory. That’s just how it works by default; no matter which antivirus you install, it’s going to turn off or put Windows Defender to sleep.

I use McAfee Security Cloud Free, and I wouldn't recommend that Avast junk under any circumstances.

Honestly, you don't need any special firewall on Windows; it’s useless and only slows down your browsing. If you want, just leave Windows Firewall on, but a standalone firewall is pointless.

Instead of rambling about dedicated firewall software, we should focus on the essentials: having Adblock in your browser is mandatory.Without it, browsing today isn't pleasant or safe, yet plenty of people still don't use an Adblock tool at all.🍿

McAfee Security Cloud is a mediocre solution because it isn't a full-fledged, cloud-based AV, which doesn't work for me. The actual McAfee (the non-cloud version) is quite problematic regarding compatibility and tends to clash with competitors. As for comparing such stuff, I haven't used Avast or Bitdefender. I used the commercial version of McAfee for a year and wasn't satisfied for several reasons. Regarding Bitdefender, it's actually much better; I used the commercial version a long time ago and was happy with it. Avast is definitely the best free AV option right now and the only one mentioned that allows for offline installation rather than requiring an online setup. And you, with your failed idols (Van Halen), should probably learn the difference between an AV, anti-spyware, and a firewall first, since those programs serve different purposes. As for the built-in Windows firewall, it isn't sufficient on its own because, by default, it doesn't block outgoing traffic; you have to explicitly set rules for every single program to block outgoing connections, making it a pretty weak solution. A firewall doesn't slow down traffic like you claim; it filters based on the network protocols and application rules you set. Maybe pick up a book before starting a fight with someone else when you clearly have no clue about the topic and haven't even tried commercial solutions to gain experience. Anyway, bye; I’m done talking to people who write so rudely and amateurishly in their very first post.