# My home computer has been infected **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896 "2025-12-20T18:58:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/41 "2025-12-22T18:03:38Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > > [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > > > My skills serve me just fine for what I need to do but are way below the build your own machine level > > Don’t shortchange yourself. If you can make a PDF file and install printer drivers, putting together a computer isn’t much harder… it’s something you could easily learn over a YouTube video, _if you wanted to_. I totally get not wanting to bother, though. The thing about building your own computer – and I’ve done it (or rather, helped my son do it) several times is that you **may** run into unpredictable problems that are non-trivial to solve. You also need a good awareness of component compatibility and what the better components are. And you need to be able to diagnose mystery problems in case they happen. It may not be rocket science, but IMHO it’s potentially a lot more challenging than just buying some components and plugging them together. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/42 "2025-12-22T19:02:39Z")
I have never given anyone remote control of my home computer. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/43 "2025-12-22T19:10:03Z")
**Czar**? **Reply** was asking **Dark\_Sponge** how bleepingcomputer works. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/44 "2025-12-22T19:11:37Z")
Oops, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/45 "2025-12-22T19:53:19Z")
No worries at all. I hate how Discourse doesn’t show you the “in reply to” indicator if it’s the immediately preceding post. They say it’s because it’s already clear… well, it’s not, darnit! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/46 "2025-12-22T22:40:04Z")
When I get hit with stuff like this I boot into Safe Mode and run [HiJackThis!](https://hijackthis.en.softonic.com/?utm_source=SEM&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=EN_desktop_RegionA_conversions_DSA_US&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15629179591) Be careful when using it though, because you can easily find yourself deleting necessary files. You can run the program right off of a thumb drive. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/47 "2025-12-22T22:43:33Z")
You could also try something like Malwarebytes or Hitman Pro before doing that ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/48 "2025-12-22T22:44:56Z")
If you can, check the Windows event logs to find anything that looks hinky, so you can then more definitively match up the process(es) in HiJackThis!. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/49 "2025-12-22T23:18:49Z")
Let’s try the simple route before going nuclear. In Chrome and Edge, look up Extensions in your settings. If there are any programs there, delete them. Then, go to your Control Panel, and Uninstall Programs option, and see if there’s any crap there. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/50 "2025-12-22T23:37:03Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Interesting. Do you give them remote access to your computer? How do you vet whichever volunteer happens to take your case… is there some sort of reputation system there? I believe it’s a number of IT professionals who specialize in this type of work volunteering their time. Unknown people ‘off the street’ aren’t allowed to give advice to others. Basically, you read the forum directions and post a new thread to the forum providing the requested logs and description of the problem. A few days later someone will respond the your thread either 1. Asking for more info/logs. 2. Providing a tool to download and run with commands, after which you’ll upload more logs. This process is repeated as many times as it takes until the tech is certain the infection is entirely removed. If you don’t post the logs in a timely manner they will eventually close the thread and move on to the next person. I’ve never heard of anyone connecting directly to your computer to help. As an fellow IT professional (who doesn’t specialize in malware removal), I’ve been nothing but impressed by the techs on the forum. I believe the original Combofix (an old school malware removal tool) was developed by one of the guys who volunteers there (at least used to). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896/51 "2025-12-22T23:39:15Z")
I used Bleeping Computers once before _ages_ ago but looked now and it’s the same. You download some software to help generate logs, post those logs and experts give you step by step instructions for removal. Sometimes it takes a couple back and forth postings to be sure it’s removed. The experts are on the mod team and they are the only ones allowed to respond so you don’t get some rando giving flawed or malicious “advice”. If you have the time to wait for a response, it’s a tremendous resource. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-home-computer-has-been-infected/1025896.md?page=2)