I recently factory reset my PC and wiped the drive completely. While checking the Task Manager today, I noticed a process called "Avast Overseer" or overseer.exe, which I found odd since I've never installed Avast on this version of Windows. I used to have it on a previous installation, but the file location is strange: "C:WindowsOEMCustomizationFiles". The file was created on January 16th, which is after I installed Avast previously but before the recent factory reset. I'm worried this might be a hack because now I can't even see it in Task Manager anymore. The file's owner is listed as "Avast Software s.r.o", and when I tried running it, nothing happened. I even checked with WizTree and found further traces of it on my system. Additionally, I scanned it on VirusTotal and didn't get any detections, but a previous check showed 19 malware detections according to ChatGPT. Now, I'm really confused because I can't access the System32 file paths for it either; access is denied. Any insights or help would be appreciated!
2 Answers
It’s definitely strange to see a process you didn’t install yourself, especially after a complete reset. "Avast Overseer" sounds like it might be a leftover from your previous installation. Sometimes, remnants of software can linger even after a factory reset. I recommend running a full malware scan with a good antivirus just to be safe, even if your VirusTotal scan came back clean. Also, if you can, try to find any leftover files from Avast and remove them manually. If you're still unsure, reaching out to Avast's support might also be a good move.
You might want to check your startup settings as well, just to see if that file is trying to run on boot. It's easy for leftover files to act up. If you notice it again, consider disabling it through your Task Manager and see if the performance changes. Also, remember that just because a file isn't detected as malware doesn't mean it's harmless. Keep a close eye on your system!
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