I'm convinced something malicious is running on my HP Omen Windows laptop. My network connection becomes unusable for 5–15 seconds at a time, and my graphics performance is also being affected, so I'm worried there may be a crypto-miner or similar malware installed. I managed to boot into Safe Mode because I thought my antivirus would be able to scan more effectively there, but neither Avast nor Avira will launch, possibly because Safe Mode has no network access. What's the best way to scan and remove the suspected malware? I'm considering resetting the laptop if I can't get the scanners working.
3 Answers
Try Microsoft Defender’s Offline scan instead of third-party antivirus. It’s built into Windows and is designed to run outside the normal Windows environment, so it shouldn’t need an active internet connection while scanning. If Defender itself won’t load, you can create a bootable rescue USB from another clean computer and scan the laptop from there.
If the infection seems serious or security tools are being blocked, reinstalling Windows may be the cleanest option. Back up only essential personal files, scan that backup from a separate clean computer, and don’t restore suspicious programs or installers. Then perform a fresh Windows installation rather than relying on a reset that preserves existing files or settings.
At this point I’m seriously considering wiping the machine and starting over.
A bootable rescue environment, such as a Kaspersky or similar antivirus rescue USB, can scan every partition without starting the installed Windows system. You’ll need access to another clean computer to download the rescue image and create the USB drive, then boot the affected laptop from it and run a full scan.
So I would need to create a rescue USB first? That may be my next step before wiping the laptop.
I’ve tried launching Defender several times, but it keeps failing to load. I may need to use a USB-based rescue scanner instead.