I think my PC might be infected with malware because it's running really slow. In Task Manager, I can see between 10 and 25 instances of my browser open, even though I only have three tabs open. This is causing my memory usage to sit around 50% at idle, and sometimes my CPU usage spikes higher than usual.
I've tried scanning multiple times with Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, ESET, and HitmanPro, but none of these have solved the issue. I suspect the problem came from a 123Movies-like site I visited while looking for a TV show to stream. Wiping my PC would be a last resort since it's a hassle to re-download everything due to my slow 2MB/s internet speed. Any advice would really help!
5 Answers
With multiple antiviruses saying you're in the clear, you might want to look for other reasons for the slowdown. What are the specs of your system? How much RAM do you have?
It sounds like your browser might just be running processes for each tab, which isn't necessarily malware. Sometimes extensions can cause this too, so check what you're running in your browser.
If you're really concerned about malware, make sure your scans include checking for rootkits. You might want to try using Autoruns from Microsoft—it goes deeper than basic scans. Also, don't forget to check for any untrustworthy browser extensions and consider using AdwCleaner as well. After removing any risky extensions, reset your browser settings too!
Before diving deeper into malware, could you share your PC specs? Knowing your CPU, RAM, and hard drive size might help determine slower performance causes if malware isn't the issue.
Not sure why you suspect malware in this case. A clean install from USB could be an option if you can't figure it out, but it might be overkill if the scans are clear.
Yeah, resetting browser settings can help clear out things that might be causing issues to begin with.