A few days ago, I noticed that the Windows 11 search box was displaying searches I definitely hadn't made. They included gibberish that vaguely resembled a K-pop group, a German term, "Monster High," "Oppenheimer," "Netflix," "prices," the name of an Instagram account about a pug, "uninstall," and the phone number of a nearby pizza place. Two more entries appeared today: the name of a local government agency and the phrase "we suggest." The one that worries me most is "AnyDesk," since remote-access tools like it are sometimes used by scammers. I've seen people suggest that this is caused by advertisements, autocomplete, poor software design, or malware. The entries seem random enough that I'm unsure what to believe. Could this be search suggestions or account activity from another device, and what steps should I take to determine whether my computer or account has been compromised?
4 Answers
This may not be malware at all. Windows Search and the search provider behind it can mix your local search history with trending topics, advertisements, autocomplete suggestions, and content from the web. That can produce oddly specific entries, including business names or entertainment titles. Seeing “AnyDesk” by itself is not proof that anyone installed or used it. Check whether AnyDesk is actually installed, and look at the source or icon shown beside each suggestion.
Run a reputable malware scan, such as Microsoft Defender’s full scan, and optionally a second-opinion scanner like Malwarebytes or AdwCleaner. Check Installed apps, startup entries, browser extensions, and remote-access software for anything you don’t recognize. If you find AnyDesk installed and you didn’t put it there, uninstall it, disconnect from the internet while investigating, and change important passwords from a known-clean device.
The search box can be misleading because not every item in its dropdown is a search you personally submitted. Suggestions may come from advertising feeds, trending searches, autocomplete data, or synchronized services. Clear the search and activity history, disable personalized search or web suggestions in Windows settings, and see whether the entries return. If they stop appearing and scans are clean, that points much more toward a suggestion feature than an infection.
It’s still worth checking account access. If your searches are being synchronized through a Microsoft or Google account, activity from another signed-in device could appear on this computer. Review the signed-in devices and recent account activity, remove anything unfamiliar, change the password, and enable two-factor authentication. Also check your other devices to make sure nobody else is using the account.
That makes sense. I’ll verify whether the entries are actual account history or just suggestions, then check installed programs and run a full scan before assuming the worst.