I've noticed that PowerShell shows up in my Task Manager for just a second or two on occasion. I keep Task Manager open on my second monitor when I'm not using other applications, so I can see it clearly. I'm a bit concerned since I've never noticed this behavior before today. Is this something I should be worried about, like a potential virus? Any help would be appreciated!
3 Answers
It's usually not normal for PowerShell to flash like that, but there could be many reasons based on your system setup. Here are a few things to consider: Are you using a personal computer or is it set up for work? Are you into gaming? Do you tend to run programs from the internet? Also, check your startup items and scheduled tasks to see if anything is invoking PowerShell. Enabling script block logging can also help track what might be running in the background.
You might want to try tools like Process Explorer or Process Monitor to get a deeper look into what’s happening. Enabling process creation logging could also provide some insight.
Checking your scheduled tasks is a good start. Something in there might be causing the PowerShell to trigger unexpectedly.
Definitely look into your scheduled tasks. Sometimes, it can be something as simple as a keyboard driver or OEM software that’s triggering it.