I've noticed some strange behavior on my PC lately, like Firefox and Chrome using an excessive amount of memory even with few tabs open. When I tried to run a scan with Windows Defender, I couldn't access the Virus and Threat Protection section because it said my "IT administrator had limited access to some areas of this app." Additionally, my laptop has been running slowly, my cursor keeps resetting to a larger size, and I'm seeing a blue loading circle intermittently. The fans are constantly loud, the battery drains quickly, and my wallpaper changes to black randomly. I'm not very tech-savvy, so I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm considering reinstalling Windows without keeping my files. Any advice would be really helpful!
2 Answers
It sounds like your system might indeed be infected, especially with the antivirus being accessed by someone else. The best move here would be to back up your essential files and do a clean reinstall of Windows. If you're up for it, you could run Malwarebytes in Safe Mode first to see if it catches anything before you wipe everything. Just be sure to save the things you don't want to lose!
Yeah, that definitely seems like a tricky situation. I strongly recommend backing up your files first, then going for a clean install of Windows. If you have a USB, it’s more effective than the built-in option—less chance of leftover junk. If you need help with the USB install, just ask!
How do I install Windows using a USB?