I've been dealing with some strange computer behavior. A few days ago, I downloaded a program, and nothing seemed off at first. But today, as I was watching a YouTube video, my browser started acting up—it moved from one monitor to another, opened a Google tab, and began typing random sites on its own. I quickly unplugged my computer and, upon rebooting, a quick scan revealed a program that I promptly deleted. However, during that scan, a new program installed itself! I checked the Event Viewer and saw a staggering 33,660 events, most of which were related to read operations on stored credentials in Credential Manager (Event ID: 5379). I'm concerned—did someone access my computer? If so, do they still have access? How can I secure my system?
6 Answers
When it comes to these situations, just wipe the system and reinstall Windows. Viruses can embed themselves deep in system files, and it's rarely worth the hassle of trying to find and remove them all. Better to start fresh!
You most likely downloaded a RAT. Change all your passwords immediately—everything on your browsers! This type of malware often comes with an info-stealer that can compromise your accounts. Back up your important data and consider formatting your computer. Just so you know, when you said 'nothing happened' at first, did you mean the program didn’t run at all, or it just seemed fine? If it executed correctly, it’s definitely suspicious.
If you're really stressed about it, I'd suggest doing a complete system wipe and reinstalling Windows. It's just easier and way safer than trying to clean it up. Forget the technicalities and just secure your system!
What program did you download, and where did you get it from? Knowing that can help determine what kind of trouble you might be in.
It sounds like you may have installed a Remote Access Trojan (RAT). The fact that programs are reinstalling themselves suggests persistence methods are at play. I recommend checking your Task Manager for any suspicious startup items, using the netstat command to see if any remote connections are open, and running a full scan with Malwarebytes. But honestly, the safest bet might be to back up your essential files and do a clean reinstall of Windows.
You should definitely run a full offline scan on your computer. Here's how to do it: Click START, go to SETTINGS, then PRIVACY & SECURITY, and find Windows Security. From there, go to Virus and Threat protection, scroll down to SCAN OPTIONS, choose the last one ("Offline Scan"), and hit scan now. Your computer will restart and it should help identify any threats.
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