[SOLVED] Compromised PC? High RAM usage at idle, Windows Defender Gone?

Feb 1, 2020
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Hi, I'm having some trouble with my PC here. Any help is appreciated.

I've been having high RAM usage for a week now, and just today I've noticed that Windows Defender is gone. Here, I'll show you.

Q8dFnvA.png


Here is the RAM usage. Note only Chrome is using around 1GB... which is weird?

Here is Windows Defender screen.
xXSMip8.png

Completely empty?

I go back to security providers and nothing is there either. What is happening to my PC?
I CANNOT access cmd, it just flashes and closes on its own. I CANNOT do a quick scan on my PC with Windows Security as I press it and it does nothing.
 
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Solution
Try Malwarebytes. If that won't start. Download Malwarebytes Chameleon on another PC and transfer via Flash Drive.

In my experience though. Once malware screws around with Windows services. Its best to just clean install and restore from a backup. While you may remove the malware. Repairing the damage ranges from more time consuming than a reinstall to impossible.

You also do a Windows reset. Which may be less time consuming than a reinstall. As files should be preserved. I prefer a clean install. Just to be sure the slate is wiped clean.

Hopefully you made a system image to facilitate a quicker restore.
Try Malwarebytes. If that won't start. Download Malwarebytes Chameleon on another PC and transfer via Flash Drive.

In my experience though. Once malware screws around with Windows services. Its best to just clean install and restore from a backup. While you may remove the malware. Repairing the damage ranges from more time consuming than a reinstall to impossible.

You also do a Windows reset. Which may be less time consuming than a reinstall. As files should be preserved. I prefer a clean install. Just to be sure the slate is wiped clean.

Hopefully you made a system image to facilitate a quicker restore.
 
Solution
Feb 1, 2020
4
0
10
I would use another computer to download the free version of Kaspersky Rescue Disk 18 and then boot from it using either a CD or USB stick, allow it to KRD to update to the latest definitions and then do a full scan. It is freeware.

And yeah, those symptoms sound like an infection.



I've used Malwarebytes and another program from Microsoft itself and did an install of windows ontop of my existing installation with the installation media from Microsoft. Seemed like I had a coin miner that ate up some of my RAM and other junk, no malicious malware just a messed up system that even wouldn't let CMD run.

Everything seems fine now, though. I used CCleaner and looked it up, apparently it can delete some really important reg keys and in my case it seemed like it? It just 'deleted' Windows Defender somehow.

All's good though, thank you for replies.
 

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