{"id":171599,"date":"2023-03-27T13:57:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T13:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=171599"},"modified":"2023-03-27T14:03:54","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T14:03:54","slug":"fix-high-cpu-usage-at-100-without-any-running-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/fix-high-cpu-usage-at-100-without-any-running-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix: High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Experiencing a sudden surge in CPU usage to 100% when you&#8217;re not actively running any applications or tasks can be both perplexing and exasperating. High CPU usage without any apparent reason can lead to a range of issues, including sluggish performance, unresponsiveness, and even system crashes. It&#8217;s crucial to diagnose and address the underlying causes to restore your computer to its optimal working condition. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the various potential factors contributing to this seemingly unexplained high CPU usage and offer you a detailed roadmap to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve the issue effectively. By following the step-by-step recommendations provided in this article, you will be able to reclaim your system&#8217;s performance and prevent future occurrences of this frustrating problem.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3914347865\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-171601\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CPU-100.jpg\" alt=\"High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs\" width=\"563\" height=\"124\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CPU-100.jpg 1009w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CPU-100-300x66.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here is a list of all the possible causes of high CPU usage (At 100%) without any running programs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Malware<\/strong>: Malware (eg. Trojan Miners, Trojan Downloaders, Adware) can cause high disk usage by creating unnecessary processes that run in the background.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>System errors<\/strong>: System errors can also cause high disk usage. These errors can be caused by corrupt system files, software conflicts, or other issues.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Disk errors<\/strong>: Disk errors can cause high disk usage by preventing the system from accessing data stored on the hard drive.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Startup programs<\/strong>: Too many startup programs can cause CPU at 100% for no reason. These programs are launched automatically when the system boots up, which can put a strain on the system&#8217;s resources.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Power Settings<\/strong>: Your computer&#8217;s power settings can also impact CPU usage. If you&#8217;re using a Windows PC, consider changing your power plan to &#8220;High Performance&#8221; or adjusting individual settings within the plan to prioritize system performance. Go to Settings &gt; System &gt; Power &amp; Sleep &gt; Additional power settings, and select &#8220;High Performance&#8221; or customize your current plan.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Outdated hardware or drivers<\/strong>: Using outdated hardware or drivers can cause CPU at 100% for no reason. Updating to the latest version can help improve system performance and resolve high disk usage issues<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Troubleshoot Potential Hardware Issues<\/strong>: <span style=\"font-size: revert; color: initial;\">In some cases, high CPU usage may result from hardware-related issues. Overheating can cause your CPU to throttle its performance to prevent damage. Ensure proper ventilation and cooling for your system by cleaning dust from fans and vents, and consider using a cooling pad if you&#8217;re using a laptop.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check Background Processes<\/strong>:&nbsp; Even when no applications are running, your computer may still have background processes consuming CPU resources. To check the background processes, open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and navigate to the Processes or Details tab. Look for processes that are using a significant amount of CPU resources and research the process name to determine if it&#8217;s a necessary system process or a potential issue. You can also right-click on the process and select &#8220;End Process&#8221; to stop it, but be cautious as ending essential system processes can cause system instability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are experiencing high disk usage on your computer, we recommend following the steps outlined in the guide below to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3216651108\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mwtad107856880\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"mt_title\">How To High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">This guide may appear overwhelming due to the number of steps and numerous programs that are being used. We have only written it this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions that anyone can use to fix their computer.<br \/>Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubts at any point, stop and <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/categories\/malware-removal-help.9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ask for our assistance<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"mwt_summary\">To fix High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs, follow these steps:<\/div>\n<ul class=\"stepsbox\">\n<li><a href=\"#removevirus\">STEP 1: Check your computer for malware and viruses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sfc\">STEP 2: Run the System File Checker (SFC) tool<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#diskcheck\">STEP 3: Run the Disk Check tool<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#startup\">STEP 4: Disable any unnecessary startup programs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hardware\">STEP 5: Use Device Manager to find hardware issues<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"removevirus\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 1: Check your computer for malware and viruses<\/h3>\n<p>In this first step, we will check your computer for malicious programs that might cause high disk usage. To do this we will manually search and uninstall malicious programs, remove malicious browser extensions, and finally run an anti-malware scan.<\/p>\n<h4>1. Uninstall malicious programs<\/h4>\n<p>First, we will manually check if any unknown or malicious programs are installed on the computer. Sometimes adware and browser hijackers can have a usable Uninstall entry that can be used to remove them.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"su-tabs su-tabs-style-default su-tabs-mobile-stack\" data-active=\"1\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-tabs-nav\"><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Windows 11<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Windows 10<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Windows 8<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Windows 7<\/span><\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-panes\"><div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Windows 11\">\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app.<\/p>\n<p>First, open Windows Settings by pressing <em>Windows+I<\/em> on your keyboard. You can also right-click your <strong>Start<\/strong> button and select \u201c<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u201d from the list.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-129326\" title=\"Right-Click the Start button then select on Settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Settings-Option.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 11 Open Settings\" width=\"565\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Settings-Option.jpg 565w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Settings-Option-300x265.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">In the Settings app, click on &#8220;Apps&#8221; and then &#8220;Apps &amp; features&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When Settings opens, click \u201c<strong>Apps<\/strong>\u201d in the sidebar, then select \u201c<strong>Apps &amp; Features<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-129325\" title=\" Click on Apps then select Apps and Features\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Apps.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 11 Apps and Feature\" width=\"900\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Apps.jpg 900w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Apps-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find the malicious program in the list of installed apps and uninstall it.<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Apps &amp; Features<\/em> settings, scroll down to the app list and search for unknown or suspicious programs. To make things easier, you can sort all installed programs by their installation date. To do this, click &#8220;Sort by&#8221; and select &#8220;Install date&#8221;.<br \/>\nLook out for any suspicious program that could be behind all the drama \u2013 anything you don\u2019t remember downloading or that doesn\u2019t sound like a genuine program. When you find a malicious program, click the <em>three dots<\/em> button beside it and select \u201c<strong>Uninstall<\/strong>\u201d in the menu that appears.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-129347\" title=\"Uninstall malicious program from Windows 11\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Uninstall-Malicious-Apps-from-Windows-11-1.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 11 Uninstall malicious program\" width=\"800\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Uninstall-Malicious-Apps-from-Windows-11-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Uninstall-Malicious-Apps-from-Windows-11-1-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you have checked your computer for malicious programs and did not find any, you can proceed with the next step in this guide.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the prompts to uninstall the program.<\/p>\n<p>In the next message box, confirm the uninstall process by clicking on <strong>Uninstall<\/strong>, then follow the prompts to uninstall the malicious program.<br \/>\nMake sure to read all of the prompts carefully, because some malicious programs try to sneak things in hoping that you won&#8217;t read them closely.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-129323\" title=\"Complete the Uninstall process\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Remove-Malicious-Apps-Windows-11-Confirm.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 11 Confirm Uninstall\" width=\"800\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Remove-Malicious-Apps-Windows-11-Confirm.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Remove-Malicious-Apps-Windows-11-Confirm-300x163.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Windows 10\">\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app.\n<\/p>\n<p>Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app. You can also ope the Settings app by clicking the Start button on the taskbar, then select &#8220;<strong>Settings<\/strong>&#8221; (gear icon).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105474 alignnone\" title=\"Click the Start button then click on Settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/settings.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10: Click the Start button then click on Settings\" width=\"700\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/settings.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/settings-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">In the Settings app, click on &#8220;Apps&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When the &#8220;<em>Windows Settings<\/em>&#8221; window opens, click on &#8220;<strong>Apps<\/strong>&#8220;. By default, it should open &#8220;<strong>Apps and Features<\/strong>&#8221; but if it doesn\u2019t, select it from the list on the left.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105472 alignnone\" title=\"Windows 10: Click on Apps\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/apps.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10: Click on Apps\" width=\"700\" height=\"501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/apps.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/apps-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find the malicious program in the list of installed apps and uninstall it.<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Apps &amp; Features<\/em> settings, scroll down to the app list and search for unknown or suspicious programs. To make things easier, you can sort all installed programs by their installation date. To do this, click &#8220;Sort by&#8221; and select &#8220;Install date&#8221;.<br \/>\nLook out for any suspicious program that could be behind all the drama \u2013 anything you don\u2019t remember downloading or that doesn\u2019t sound like a genuine program. When you find a malicious program, click on it and select \u201c<strong>Uninstall<\/strong>\u201d in the menu that appears.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105475 alignnone\" title=\"Uninstall malware from Windows\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10: Uninstall malware from Windows\" width=\"700\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you have checked your computer for malicious programs and did not find any, you can proceed with the next step in this guide.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the prompts to uninstall the program.\n<\/p>\n<p>In the next message box, confirm the uninstall process by clicking on <strong>Uninstall<\/strong>, then follow the prompts to uninstall the malicious program.<br \/>\nMake sure to read all of the prompts carefully, because some malicious programs try to sneak things in hoping that you won&#8217;t read closely.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105473 alignnone\" title=\"Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Complete-the-uninstall-Windows-10.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10: Complete the uninstall process\" width=\"700\" height=\"501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Complete-the-uninstall-Windows-10.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Complete-the-uninstall-Windows-10-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Windows 8\">\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to &#8220;Program and Features&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Right-click on the <strong>Start<\/strong> button in the taskbar, then select <strong>&#8220;Programs and Features&#8221;<\/strong>. This will take you directly to your list of installed programs.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105481 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Windows-8-1-Programs-and-Features.jpg\" alt=\"Right click on Start and select Programs and Features\" width=\"408\" height=\"452\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Windows-8-1-Programs-and-Features.jpg 408w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Windows-8-1-Programs-and-Features-271x300.jpg 271w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Search for malicious program and uninstall it.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>&#8220;Programs and Features&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;screen will be displayed with a list of all the programs installed on your computer. Scroll through the list until you find any unknown or suspicious&nbsp;program, then <strong>click to highlight it<\/strong>, then click the <strong>&#8220;Uninstall&#8221;<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n<p>Look out for any suspicious program that could be behind all the drama \u2013 anything you don\u2019t remember downloading or that doesn\u2019t sound like a genuine program. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you have checked your computer for malicious programs and did not find any, you can proceed with the next step in this guide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105480\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Uninstall-Programs-in-Windows-8.jpg\" alt=\"Select malicious program then click on Uninstall\" width=\"653\" height=\"457\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Uninstall-Programs-in-Windows-8.jpg 653w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Uninstall-Programs-in-Windows-8-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall malicious program.<\/p>\n<p>In the next message box, confirm the uninstall process by clicking on <strong>Yes<\/strong>, then follow the prompts to uninstall malicious program. Make sure to read all of the prompts carefully, because some malicious programs try to sneak things in hoping that you won&#8217;t read closely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Windows 7\">\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open the &#8220;Control Panel&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Click on the &#8220;<strong>Start<\/strong>&#8221; button, then click on &#8220;<strong>Control Panel<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105479 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/windows-7-start-menu-control-panel.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 7 go to Control Panel\" width=\"346\" height=\"442\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/windows-7-start-menu-control-panel.jpg 346w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/windows-7-start-menu-control-panel-235x300.jpg 235w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Uninstall a Program&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When the <em>&#8220;Control Panel&#8221;<\/em> appears, click on <strong>&#8220;Uninstall a Program&#8221;<\/strong> from the <em>Programs<\/em> category.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105478 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-a-program-windows-7.jpg\" alt=\"Select Uninstall malicious program from Control Panel\" width=\"557\" height=\"298\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-a-program-windows-7.jpg 557w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-a-program-windows-7-300x161.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Search for malicious programs and uninstall them.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>&#8220;Programs and Features&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;screen will be displayed with a list of all the programs installed on your computer. Scroll through the list until you find any suspicious or unknown program, then <strong>click to highlight it<\/strong>, then click the <strong>&#8220;Uninstall&#8221;<\/strong> button.<br \/>\nLook out for any suspicious program that could be behind all the drama \u2013 anything you don\u2019t remember downloading or that doesn\u2019t sound like a genuine program. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you have checked your computer for malicious programs and did not find any, you can proceed with the next step in this guide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-105477 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-Windows-7-Programs.jpg\" alt=\"Uninstall malware from Windows 7\" width=\"614\" height=\"398\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-Windows-7-Programs.jpg 614w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/uninstall-Windows-7-Programs-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall malicious program.<\/p>\n<p>In the next message box, confirm the uninstall process by clicking on <strong>Yes<\/strong>, then follow the prompts to uninstall malicious program. Make sure to read all of the prompts carefully, because some malicious programs try to sneak things in hoping that you won&#8217;t read closely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you are experiencing difficulty while attempting to uninstall a program, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/get-revo-uninstaller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Revo Uninstaller<\/strong><\/a> to completely remove the unwanted program from your computer.<\/div>\n<p>Now that the malicious programs have been removed from your computer, we can proceed with the next step in this guide.<\/p>\n\n<h4>2. Clean up your browser<\/h4>\n<p>Next, we will remove spam notifications, malicious extensions, and change to default any settings that might have been changed by malware.<br \/>Please note that this method will remove all extensions, toolbars, and other customizations but will leave your bookmarks and favorites intact. For each browser that you have installed on your computer, please click on the browsers tab below and follow the displayed steps to reset that browser.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"su-tabs su-tabs-style-default su-tabs-mobile-stack\" data-active=\"1\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-tabs-nav\"><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Chrome<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Firefox<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Microsoft Edge<\/span><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Internet Explorer<\/span><\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-panes\"><div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Chrome\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Reset Chrome for Windows to default settings<\/h5>\n<p>We will now reset your Chrome browser settings to their original defaults. This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.<\/p>\n\n<ol>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open the Chrome menu<\/p>\n<p>In the top-right corner of Chrome, click the three-dot (\u22ee) icon to open the menu.<\/p>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-344168 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1a.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1a-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to Settings<\/p>\n<p>From the menu, select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-344169 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1b.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-1b-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Select \u201cReset settings\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the left sidebar, scroll down and click <strong>Reset settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-344166 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-2.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-2-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Choose \u201cRestore settings to their original defaults\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Click the <strong>Restore settings to their original defaults<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-344171 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-3-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-3-1-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Confirm the reset<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1419042237\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the dialog that appears, click <strong>Reset settings<\/strong> to restore Chrome to its default state. Bookmarks, history, and saved passwords will remain, but extensions will be disabled and temporary data cleared.<\/p>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-344172 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-4.jpg 700w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Chrome-4-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Firefox\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Reset Firefox for Windows to default settings<\/h5>\n<p>We will now reset your Firefox browser settings to their default. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history, and open tabs.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner and then click on &#8220;Help&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Click on Firefox&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines. When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled &#8220;<strong>Help<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136955 alignnone\" title=\"Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner and then click on Help\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Open-Firefox-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Firefox Menu button then select Help button\" width=\"800\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Open-Firefox-Settings.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Open-Firefox-Settings-300x182.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;More troubleshooting information&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>From the <em>Help<\/em> menu, click on &#8220;<strong>More troubleshooting information<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136954 alignnone\" title=\"Click the More Troubleshooting Information link\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Firefox-Open-Reset-Menu.jpg\" alt=\"Click More Troubleshooting Information\" width=\"800\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Firefox-Open-Reset-Menu.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Firefox-Open-Reset-Menu-300x183.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Refresh Firefox&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When the &#8220;<em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em>&#8221; page opens, click on the &#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136956 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-button.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Refresh Firefox\" width=\"800\" height=\"488\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-button.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-button-300x183.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Confirm that you want to reset your browser settings.<\/p>\n<p>To finish the reset process, click on the &#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;&nbsp;button in the new confirmation window that opens.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136957 alignnone\" title=\"Click the on Refresh Firefox to confirm\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-Confirm.jpg\" alt=\"Click again on Refresh Firefox button\" width=\"800\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-Confirm.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Refresh-Firefox-Confirm-300x183.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Finish&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Firefox will now close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it&#8217;s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on &#8220;<strong>Finish<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<p>Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named &#8220;<em>Old Firefox Data<\/em>&#8220;. If the reset didn&#8217;t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don&#8217;t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Microsoft Edge\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Reset Microsoft Edge to default settings<\/h5>\n<p>We will now reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings to their default. This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then click on &#8220;Settings&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In the top right corner, click on Microsoft Edge&#8217;s main menu button, represented by <strong>three horizontal dots<\/strong>. When the drop-down menu appears, click on &#8220;<strong>Settings<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136961 alignnone\" title=\"Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then click on Settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Edge-Open-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then click on Settings\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Edge-Open-Settings.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Edge-Open-Settings-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Reset Settings&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>On the left side of the window, click on &#8220;<strong>Reset Settings<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136962 alignnone\" title=\"Click Reset Settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Resen-and-Clean-Edge-browser.jpg\" alt=\"Click Reset Settings option\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Resen-and-Clean-Edge-browser.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Resen-and-Clean-Edge-browser-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Restore settings to their default values&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In the main window, click on &#8220;<strong>Restore settings to their default values<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136963 alignnone\" title=\" Click Restore settings to their default values\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Restore-Edge-Settings-Button.jpg\" alt=\"Select Restore settings to their default values\" width=\"800\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Restore-Edge-Settings-Button.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Restore-Edge-Settings-Button-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Reset&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the &#8220;<strong>Reset<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136960 alignnone\" title=\"Click Reset to reset Microsoft Edge\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Confirm-Reset-Edge-Browser.jpg\" alt=\"Click Reset to reset your browser\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Confirm-Reset-Edge-Browser.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Confirm-Reset-Edge-Browser-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>Microsoft Edge will now erase all your personal data, browsing history, and disable all installed extensions. Your bookmarks, though, will remain intact and still be accessible.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"Internet Explorer\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Reset Internet Explorer to default settings<\/h5>\n<p>We will now reset your Internet Explorer browser settings to their default. You can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to &#8220;Internet Options&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Open Internet Explorer, click on the <strong>gear icon<\/strong> in the upper-right part of your browser, then select &#8220;<strong>Internet Options<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Select the &#8220;Advanced&#8221; tab, then click &#8220;Reset&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In the &#8220;<em>Internet Options<\/em>&#8221; dialog box, select the&nbsp;&#8220;<strong>Advanced<\/strong>&#8221;&nbsp;tab, then click&nbsp;on the &#8220;<strong>Reset<\/strong>&#8221; button.<\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Reset&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In the &#8220;<em>Reset Internet Explorer settings<\/em>&#8221; section, select the &#8220;<em>Delete personal settings<\/em>&#8221; checkbox, then click on the &#8220;<strong>Reset<\/strong>&#8221; button.<\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Close&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the &#8220;<strong>Close<\/strong>&#8221; button in the confirmation dialogue box.<br \/>Close your browser and then you can open Internet Explorer again.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h4>3. Run a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/h4>\n<p>Now, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download Malwarebytes<\/p> <p>Download the latest version of <strong>Malwarebytes for Windows<\/strong> using the official link below. Malwarebytes will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software for free.<\/p> <div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Malwarebytes Icon\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-81150 mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Malwarebytes-LOGO.png\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Logo\"\/><\/figure> <strong><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/downloads\/MBSetup-076886.076886-consumer.exe\" onclick=\"window.open('https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/malwarebytes-free');\">MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS DOWNLOAD LINK<br \/>\n<\/a><\/strong><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)<\/em><\/div><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a0<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install Malwarebytes<\/p>\n\n<p>After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. <strong>Double-click on the MBSetup file<\/strong> to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a <strong>User Account Control<\/strong> pop-up appears, click &#8220;<em>Yes<\/em>&#8221; to continue the Malwarebytes installation.<\/p>\n\n \n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"975\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285934\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1.jpg 975w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/figure>\n \n\n \n  \n\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes<\/p> \n\n<p>When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process. <\/p>\n\n<ul>\n \n  <li>\n    <p>You&#8217;ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you&#8217;re installing the program on\u2014select either &#8220;Personal Computer&#8221; or &#8220;Work Computer&#8221; as appropriate, then click on <strong>Next<\/strong>.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"737\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285953\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1.jpg 737w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1-300x204.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285937\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4.jpg 759w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the &#8220;Welcome to Malwarebytes&#8221; screen.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"705\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285951\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1.jpg 705w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>On the final screen, simply click on the <strong>Open Malwarebytes<\/strong> option to start the program.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"749\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285952\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1.jpg 749w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Enable &#8220;Rootkit scanning&#8221;.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad4023371910\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381401-ad_309691-placement_360573\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5315249587\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes&#8217; ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the &#8220;Settings&#8221; gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285942\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the settings menu, enable the &#8220;Scan for rootkits&#8221; option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"841\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285943\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9.jpg 841w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the &#8220;Dashboard&#8221; button in the left pane to get back to the main screen. \n\n <\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.<\/p> <p>To start a scan, click the <strong>Scan<\/strong> button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285941\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10.jpg 849w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.<\/p>\n<p>Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285944\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Quarantine detected malware<\/p>\n<p>Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the &#8220;<strong>Quarantine<\/strong>&#8221; button.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285945\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12.jpg 844w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program&#8217;s quarantine. \n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285946\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n <\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n  <p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Restart your computer.<\/p>\n  <p>When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285947\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14.jpg 844w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h4>4. Double-check for malicious programs with HitmanPro<\/h4>\n<p>Finally, we will scan the computer with HitmanPro to ensure that no other malicious programs are installed on your device.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner that takes a unique cloud-based approach to malware scanning. HitmanPro scans the behavior of active files and also files in locations where malware normally resides for suspicious activity. If it finds a suspicious file that&#8217;s not already known, HitmanPro sends it to its clouds to be scanned by two of the best antivirus engines today, which are Bitdefender and Kaspersky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although HitmanPro is shareware and costs $24.95 for 1 year on 1 PC, there is no limit on scanning. The limitation only kicks in when there is a need to remove or quarantine detected malware by HitmanPro on your system and by then, you can activate the one-time 30-days trial to enable the cleanup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download HitmanPro.<\/p>\n<p>You can download <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> by clicking the link below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-81147 alignleft mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/icon-hitmanpro.png\" alt=\"HitmanPro Logo\" width=\"38\" height=\"38\" title=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The above link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install HitmanPro.<\/p>\n<p>When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on \u201chitmanpro.exe\u201d (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or \u201chitmanpro_x64.exe\u201d (for 64-bit versions of Windows) to install this program on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the <em>Downloads<\/em> folder.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136909 alignnone\" title=\"Double-click on the HitmanPro setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro.jpg\" alt=\"Double-click on the HitmanPro file\" width=\"800\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>You may be presented with a <em>User Account Control<\/em>&nbsp;pop-up asking if you want to allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click \u201c<em>Yes<\/em>\u201d to continue with the installation.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136916 alignnone\" title=\"Windows asking for permissions to run the HitmanPro setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC.jpg\" alt=\"Windows asking for permissions to run the HitmanPro setup \" width=\"676\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC.jpg 676w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the on-screen prompts.<\/p>\n<p>When HitmanPro starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button to perform a system scan.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136913 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to install HitmanPro on your computer\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install.jpg\" alt=\"Click Next to install HitmanPro on your PC\" width=\"800\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136912 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to finish the HitmanPro install\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro final installer screen\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p><div id=\"mwtad3602618095\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381404-ad_309691-placement_381406\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8735619847\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the HitmanPro scan to complete.<\/p>\n<p>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malicious programs.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136915 alignnone\" title=\"HitmanPro while scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scans your computer for any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Next&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When HitmanPro has finished the scan, it will display a list of all the malware that it has found. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; button to have HitmanPro remove the detected items.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136914 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to remove the malware that HitmanPro has detected\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scan summary. Click Next to remove malware\" width=\"800\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Activate free license&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>HitmanPro may now require to activate the free 30-days trial to remove the malicious files. To do this, click on the &#8220;<strong>Activate free license<\/strong>&#8221; button to begin the <em>free 30 days trial<\/em> and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136911 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Activate free license button to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Activate free license button\" width=\"800\" height=\"635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License-300x238.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When the malware removal process is complete, it will display a screen that shows the status of the various programs that were removed. At this screen, you should click on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button and then if prompted you should click on the <strong>Reboot<\/strong> button. If HitmanPro does not prompt you to reboot, please just click on the <strong>Close<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"sfc\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 2: Run the System File Checker (SFC) tool<\/h3>\n<p>One potential cause of high disk usage is the presence of system errors. To check for and repair these errors, you can use a tool called the System File Checker (SFC).<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SFC tool scans all protected system files on your computer and replaces any files that are corrupt or damaged with a cached copy that is stored in a compressed folder at %WinDir%\\System32\\dllcache. By running the SFC tool, you can help ensure that your system is functioning properly and fix any issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open Command Prompt as Administrator.<\/p>\n<p>To open the Command Prompt as an administrator in Windows, type &#8220;<strong>cmd<\/strong>&#8221; in the search bar and then right-click on the <strong>Command Prompt<\/strong> result and select &#8220;<strong>Run as administrator<\/strong>&#8221; as shown in the image below.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159165 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin.jpg\" alt=\"Run CMD As Administrator\" width=\"800\" height=\"574\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>A User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear asking for permission to allow the program to run. Click &#8220;Yes&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Type &#8220;sfc \/scannow&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>You will now be presented with a black screen called the &#8216;Administrator: Command Prompt&#8217;. On this screen, type &#8220;<strong>sfc \/scannow<\/strong>&#8221; to scan for and repair any corrupt system files.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160291 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-scannow.jpg\" alt=\"sfc \/scannow\" width=\"800\" height=\"438\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-scannow.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-scannow-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Restart your computer.<\/p>\n<p>Restart your computer if sfc \/scannow repaired files. System File Checker may or may not prompt you to restart but even if it doesn&#8217;t, you should restart anyway.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Run again sfc \/scannow.<\/p>\n<p>Run again sfc \/scannow to check if the files were repaired.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"diskcheck\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 3: Run the Disk Check tool<\/h3>\n<p>Another tool that can help identify and fix issues that may be causing high disk usage is the Disk Check tool, also known as &#8220;chkdsk.&#8221;<\/p>\n\nThis tool checks your hard disk for errors and can fix any issues it finds. To use the Disk Check tool, you will need to open the command prompt and enter the &#8220;chkdsk&#8221; command followed by the drive letter (e.g., &#8220;chkdsk C:&#8221;). You can also add the &#8220;\/f&#8221; flag to the command to instruct the tool to fix any errors it finds. By running the Disk Check tool, you can help ensure that your hard disk is functioning properly and fix any issues that may be causing high disk usage.&#8221;\n<ol>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open Command Prompt as Administrator.<\/p>\nTo open the Command Prompt as an administrator in Windows, type &#8220;<strong>cmd<\/strong>&#8221; in the search bar and then right-click on the <strong>Command Prompt<\/strong> result and select &#8220;<strong>Run as administrator<\/strong>&#8221; as shown in the image below.\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159165 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin.jpg\" alt=\"Run CMD As Administrator\" width=\"800\" height=\"574\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-as-Admin-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\nA User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear asking for permission to allow the program to run. Click &#8220;Yes&#8221;.<\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Type &#8220;chkdsk \/f \/r&#8221;<\/p>\nYou will now be presented with a black screen called the &#8216;Administrator: Command Prompt&#8217;. On this screen, type &#8220;chkdsk \/f \/r&#8221; to repair any errors on your hard drive.\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-160296\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r.jpg\" alt=\"chkdsk \/f \/r\" width=\"800\" height=\"438\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Restart your computer<\/p>\nThe Disk Check tool may require you to restart your computer in order to complete the scan and repair process. Type &#8220;<strong>Y<\/strong>&#8221; and click on <strong>Enter<\/strong>, then restart the computer.\nA CHKDSK command can take a long time, especially when performed on larger drives. Once it\u2019s done, however, it will present a summary of results including total disk space, byte allocation, and, most importantly, any errors that were found and corrected.\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-160297\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r-restart.jpg\" alt=\"CMD chkdsk f r restart\" width=\"800\" height=\"438\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r-restart.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/CMD-chkdsk-f-r-restart-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h3 id=\"startup\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 4: Disable any unnecessary startup programs<\/h3>\n<p>Startup programs are applications that automatically launch when you start your computer. While some of these programs may be necessary for your system to function properly, others may be unnecessary and can consume system resources, including disk usage. Disabling unnecessary startup programs can help improve system performance and reduce high disk usage.<\/p>\n\n<ol>\n \t<li>Open the Task Manager by pressing the <strong>Ctrl + Shift + Esc<\/strong> keys on your keyboard simultaneously.\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160304 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Task-Manager.jpg\" alt=\"Task Manager\" width=\"800\" height=\"567\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Task-Manager.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Task-Manager-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n \t<li>In the Task Manager, go to the &#8220;<strong>Startup<\/strong>&#8221; tab and <strong>disable any programs<\/strong> that you do not need to start automatically when you turn on your computer.\nKeep in mind that some startup programs may be essential to the functioning of your system, so be careful not to disable any important programs.\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160305 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/TS-Disable-Startup-programs.jpg\" alt=\"Disable Startup programs\" width=\"800\" height=\"567\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/TS-Disable-Startup-programs.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/TS-Disable-Startup-programs-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h3 id=\"hardware\" class=\"mt_blue \">STEP 5: Use Device Manager to find hardware issues<\/h3>\n<p>In some cases, high disk usage may be caused by hardware errors or issues with hardware devices connected to your computer. To check for and troubleshoot these types of errors, you can use the Device Manager built-in into Windows.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open Device Manager.<\/p>\n<p>To access the Device Manager, type &#8220;<strong>devmgmt.msc<\/strong>&#8221; into the search bar on the Start menu and select &#8220;<strong>Device Manager<\/strong>&#8221; from the list of results.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160308 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-manager-open.jpg\" alt=\"Open Device Manager\" width=\"800\" height=\"630\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-manager-open.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-manager-open-300x236.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find hardware devices that work properly.<\/p>\n<p>In the Device Manager, you can view a list of all the hardware devices connected to your computer and check for any errors or issues. If you see a yellow exclamation point next to a device, it may indicate a problem with that device. You can right-click on the device and select &#8220;Update driver&#8221; or &#8220;Troubleshoot&#8221; to try and fix any issues.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160309 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-Manager.jpg\" alt=\"Find Hardware Issues\" width=\"800\" height=\"586\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-Manager.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Device-Manager-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p><div id=\"mwtad3380384231\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360582-ad_309691-placement_360581\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9971336976\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<p>We hope this guide helps you fix the CPU at 100% for no reason. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, don&#8217;t hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/help\/welcome-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">start a thread in our forum<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Experiencing a sudden surge in CPU usage to 100% when you&#8217;re not actively running any applications or tasks can be both perplexing and exasperating. High CPU usage without any apparent reason can lead to a &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Fix: High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/fix-high-cpu-usage-at-100-without-any-running-programs\/#more-171599\" aria-label=\"Read more about Fix: High CPU Usage (At 100%) Without Any Running Programs\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}