If you have never heard of what a Trojan is, then your computer has probably never suffered from a virus. A Trojan Horse—or just Trojan, as it’s commonly called—is the largest kind of malware that is frequently camouflaged as legitimate software.
Trojans are mostly used by cybercriminals who are trying to access computers of other users. The way they trick the users into loading and executing the virus on their systems is by forms of social engineering. Once the Trojan is activated, the hackers can steal all of your data, spy on you and even have full access to your computer.
Taskhostw.exe is a Trojan designed strictly to abuse your computer’s resources in order to mine a specific cryptocurrency named Monero. Same as a general Trojan virus, this type of coin miner works immediately after a system called ‘’WindowsUpdateChecker’’ autorun is created.
There are common symptoms you can recognize in the Taskhostw.exe coin miner, such as: your computer is running slower than usual, installed apps won’t start or suspicious redirections to third-party websites occur.
Your computer can be infected with this Trojan through several different sources, such as spam emails with malicious attachments, peer-to-peer networks, botnets, infected game servers and many more.
How to Get Rid of Taskhostw.exe Trojan
When it comes to getting rid of Taskhostw.exe, there are two main approaches you can take. Depending on how well you manage computers, you can choose either to go through your software system or you can run an app to remove it.
First, we will take a deeper look at the options your own computer offers in order to protect you from the Trojans (Trojan viruses).
Step 1: Boot your computer
Expectedly, you begin this step by turning your computer on.
In your computer’s Start search bar, go ahead and type ‘msconfig’. In most cases, the so-named folder will be immediately displayed. In other cases, you may find: ‘System Configuration’. In both cases, enter the file.
Then, choose the tab named ‘Boot’.
Select the ‘Safe boot’ option and click OK.
Step 2: Hidden folders and files
In order to show all your hidden folders and files, you will be required to press ‘Start’and choose the ‘Control Panel’ of your computer.
Then go to the ‘Appearance and Personalization’ panel.
Click the ‘Folder Options’ and select the ‘View’ tab. Right after this, chose the ‘Show hidden files, folders and drives’ option.
Press ‘OK’ after this step.
Step 3: Remove all virus records
Check the following folder. This is where you may find suspicious data.
- %ProgramData%
- %APPDATA%
- %TEMP%
Step 4: Repair the hosts file
Enter the %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\ folder.
Enter the file named ‘hosts’ using the Notepad tool or another text editor. Proceed to delete all suspicious elements.
The basic host folder looks like in the picture below:
Step 5: Cleaning
This process deals with cleaning the registry. This specific step is for experienced users. If you feel you are one of them, continue with the procedure.
Click on ‘Start’ and write Regedit.exe. Press ‘Enter’ and carry on with cleaning the start-up registry keys:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
Step 6: The computer scan
This is the final step regarding this approach. You should scan your computer with an antivirus program to make sure it is completely safe.
You can find numerous antivirus programs online nowadays. Do your research and choose the one you think will work the best for you. Don’t rush. Make a smart decision.
The second approach we are going to overview today is through Malwarebytes. It is a very powerful and outstanding on-demand scanner that helps you remove the Taskhostw.exe CPU Miner effectively.
Note: Malwarebytes runs alongside an antivirus software—all of it, without any conflict areas.
The following removal guide may seem overwhelming due to the amount of programs and steps that should be taken. However, it is full of clear and detailed instructions for removing malware for free.
Step 1: Download and use Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes can be downloaded from the official website.
When you are done downloading it, click on the file named ‘mb3-setup-consumer’ in order to install the program on your computer.
You may get asked if you allow the program to make changes to your device. If this occurs, you should continue by clicking ‘Yes’.
Same as any other downloaded program, you will be guided through the full installation process. As always, complete this process by clicking on the ‘Finish’ button.
The moment Malwarebytes is installed, it automatically starts with updating your antivirus database. Click on the ‘Scan Now’ option to start the system scan.
After the scan has started, your computer will be checked for malicious programs. Just because it may take you some time to finish this process, we suggest doing something else and checking the status from time to time. You will immediately notice when the scan has finished.
As shown in the screenshot, you will know how many threats have been identified right away.
After the scan is completed, you will be able to see all the malware infections that the program has detected. To remove them, choose the ‘Quarantine Selected’ option.
To finish this step, Malwarebytes may ask you if you would like to restart your computer. Click ‘Yes’.
When the removal operation is completed, you may proceed with all of the following instructions.
Step 2: Use HitmanPro
HitmanPro is a program that can easily remove adware, malware as well as other threats.
Starting from basics, click here to download HitmanPro.When the program is downloaded, double-click on the file you can find in your computer named ‘hitmanpro’.
Same as for Malwarebytes, the app may ask you if you want to make changes to your device. Once again, choose ‘Yes’.
The start screen of the program will look as shown below. Here, you click ‘Next’ to continue the scan process.
That is how HitmanPro begins scanning your computer for all malware actions.
When it is finished scanning, a list of all malware will be displayed promptly. Click ‘Next’ to remove the malware.
By clicking on the ‘Activate free license’ button, you will get a free 30-day trial to remove the malicious files out of your computer.
After all of this is done, close the HitmanPro program and continue with the other instructions.
Step 3: Use Zemana AntiMalware Free to double-check
Another free malware scanner you should definitely get introduced to is the Zemana AntiMalware program.
Go ahead and download the app from this link.
Then, start installing the program on your device just as any other downloaded program. Again, if asked for changes to be made to your computer, click ‘Yes’.
Install the program by clicking on the ‘Next’ button. Through the setup, you will come across a point where you will be required to select additional tasks. Here, opt-out the ‘Enable RealTime Protection’ option.
As assumed, when Zemana AntiMalware starts, choose the ‘Scan’ option.
Now, the scan for malicious files is started. The whole procedure shouldn’t be longer than 10 minutes.
A list containing all the malware that the program has found will be displayed. To remove it, you should click on the ‘Next’ button.
After the malware is removed, you may be in need to restart your computer. Once this is done, the process is now officially completed.
Step 4: Reset your browser
This step is an additional one that should only be performed if your browser has issues that haven’t been solved by all the previous steps. Whichever browser you are using, whether it is Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox, you should reset it to its default settings. This way, your computer won’t be experiencing issues with Taskhostw.exe anymore.
Closing Thoughts
We hope we have provided the necessary instructional insight on how to remove the Taskhostw.exe Trojan. Your system should definitely be free of this malicious attack once the above steps are followed. The coin miner should be removed as soon as noticed.
Make sure you do anything possible to protect your computer from future malware infections. Keep in mind not to open any unknown attachments sent by email and to avoid clicking on any suspicious hyperlinks.
Back up your data on a regular basis and remember to turn on the system restore feature in your operating system. Also, keep your web browsers up-to-date and use strong passwords that are difficult to guess or hack.
However, there are times when you may not be able to secure your computer fully. In those cases, we got you.
Perform all the mentioned steps in the exact correct order and you will be fine.
Another common Trojan that can infect your computer is Counter.wmail-service.com, which can hijack your browser and display unwanted ads.
