I've been dealing with a pesky issue on my laptop where it seems like there's some dormant malware causing problems. I have a decent amount of computer knowledge, but this started happening intermittently over the past year. I think I might have accidentally clicked on a download ad. I've run Malwarebytes and didn't find anything, and I've manually checked my files too. The bizarre behavior happens randomly, even when my laptop is sleeping. Sometimes, I can see it happening, but other times I open my laptop, and it's already typing away in my browser. It's been typing things like how to change the search engine, accessing my Google account, and inputting some hexadecimal code. It's becoming really frustrating! Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this? Here's the hexadecimal code I've noticed: 89a7cd3f-e660-4ce2-a2ba-c7bd04b51e72.
2 Answers
You might want to try using AdwCleaner. It's a handy tool specifically for browser-related malware and could help clean up any issues you might be facing.
I’m going to give it a shot too! Just ran it, and it found one PUP file—I cleaned it up but guess I'll have to wait and see if that solves it.
Honestly, if this has been dragging on, it might be best to wipe your PC altogether. You could save yourself a lot of headache that way. Just assume that any files you have could be compromised. Backup what you can, do a fresh install, and make sure you change all your passwords afterward, especially for any financial accounts.
Yeah, it's basically just like Malwarebytes but tailored for browsers. A lot of people trust it for these kinds of problems.