How can I check whether my Windows 11 laptop has malware?
Asked by
MellowPine42
For the past 20 minutes, my laptop's fans have been ramping up and down every few seconds even though I'm only browsing the web. Interestingly, the fans became quiet as soon as I opened Task Manager. I've heard that malware can sometimes hide when monitoring tools are opened, so I'm worried my system may be infected. I'm not very experienced with troubleshooting—what should I check, and what scans should I run?
Answers
Fans changing speed doesn’t automatically mean malware. Check Task Manager’s Processes tab for CPU usage and sort by the CPU column. A browser tab, Windows Update, indexing, or another legitimate background task can cause this. If the usage is normal and scans are clean, check for dust, blocked vents, or a temperature-monitoring issue.
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As a second opinion, run Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool. Press Win+R, enter MRT, and run it as administrator. Select a scan option and let it finish. You can also use Malwarebytes for an additional one-time scan, but avoid running multiple real-time antivirus programs together.
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Start with Windows Security, which is built into Windows 11. Make sure its definitions are updated, then run a Full scan rather than only a Quick scan. You can also restart first, since a temporary background process or stuck update may be causing the fan activity.
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