Hey everyone, I'm having some strange issues with my laptop that I'm concerned about. I've been downloading some movies and transferring files to a USB flash drive, and I've noticed some bizarre behavior:
- Chrome opens a new window for every action instead of a new tab.
- I can only type special characters instead of numbers, and pressing shift or caps lock doesn't help.
- My internet is super slow, at only 0.80 megabits per second, which means a 40MB download says it will take around 7 hours!
- Tixati keeps resetting my already downloaded movie back to zero when reinitializing files.
- Chrome itself is unusually slow with just one instance running.
- I also get a 'filter keys' pop-up while I type, and trying to fix the number key issue by pressing num lock hasn't worked.
Additionally, I've noticed some odd activities recently:
- Command pop-ups used to show up at startup but have stopped now.
- My mouse batteries die quickly after just two weeks and it acts weirdly, so I've switched to the touchpad in hopes that won't cause me problems.
- I found and fixed corrupted files using CMD a few days ago.
All of this makes me wonder if there's something malicious going on, or if I'm just overreacting. I might be forgetting some details, but I hope this helps get some insightful answers!
2 Answers
You've got a mix of keyboard issues, weird Chrome interactions, slow internet, and odd file activities. All these signs could point to malware, but it might also be a result of system corruption or hardware issues. I suggest running multiple malware scans, checking your startup programs for anything unusual, and if problems keep happening, consider reinstalling your OS.
It sounds like the shift key might be stuck on minimum, which could explain why you're only typing special characters and why Chrome is opening new windows. For the slow internet and other odd behavior, it's possible that you could have downloaded something suspicious without realizing it, especially if you were downloading from less-than-reputable sources.
Thanks for the tips! I'll start with the scans. Is Malwarebytes a good choice for that?