How to remove Conhost.exe virus

What is Conhost.exe Virus

Conhost.exe, short for Console Windows Host, is a legitimate component of the Windows operating system that facilitates the interaction between the Windows user interface and command-line utilities. However, this process has been exploited by cybercriminals to conduct malicious activities, particularly in the realm of cryptocurrency mining. Cybercriminals have been known to disguise cryptomining malware as the conhost.exe process to mine Monero, a popular cryptocurrency, without the knowledge of the computer owner. This type of malware, often referred to as a cryptominer, hijacks the computer’s resources, particularly the CPU, to solve complex mathematical problems that validate transactions on the Monero network, thereby earning Monero coins for the attackers. The cryptomining process is resource-intensive and can lead to diminished computer performance, increased electricity consumption, and potential hardware damage due to overheating. The conhost.exe virus, specifically, has been associated with a variant of cryptomining malware that uses the victim’s computer to mine Monero by connecting to a mining pool and utilizing as much CPU power as possible.

How Conhost.exe Virus infected your system

The conhost.exe virus can infiltrate computers through various deceptive methods. Common infection vectors include:

• Malicious email attachments that, once opened, execute the malware.
• Drive-by downloads from compromised or malicious websites that secretly download and install the malware.
• Bundled installations where the malware comes packaged with legitimate software or other malware.

Once installed, the malware may place its files in non-standard locations, such as the user’s AppData folder, to avoid detection and may also modify system settings to ensure it runs on startup. The virus may also create registry entries to enable it to restart automatically and operate uninterrupted.

1. Download Conhost.exe Virus Removal Tool
2. Use Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to remove Conhost.exe Virus
3. Use Autoruns to remove Conhost.exe Virus
4. Files, folders and registry keys of Conhost.exe Virus
5. Other aliases of Conhost.exe Virus
6. How to protect from threats, like Conhost.exe Virus

Remove Conhost.exe Virus manually

Manual removal of Conhost.exe Virus by inexperienced users may become a difficult task because it does not create entries in Add/Remove Programs under Control Panel, does not install browser extensions, and uses random file names. However, there are pre-installed instruments in the Windows system, that allow you to detect and remove malware without using third-party applications. One of them is Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. It comes with Windows Update in Windows 11, 10, 8. 8.1. For older operating system you can download it here: 64-bit version | 32-bit version.

Remove Conhost.exe Virus using Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

1. Type mrt in the search box near Start Menu.
2. Run mrt clicking on found item.
3. Click Next button.
4. Choose one of the scan modes Quick scan, Full scan, Customize scan (Full scan recommended).
5. Click Next button.
6. Click on View detailed results of the scan link to view the scan details.
7. Click Finish button.

Remove Conhost.exe Virus using Autoruns

Conhost.exe Virus often sets up to run at Windows startup as an Autorun entry or Scheduled task.

1. Download Autoruns using this link.
2. Extract the archive and run Autoruns.exe file.
3. In Options menu make sure there are checkboxes near Hide Empty Locations, Hide Microsoft Entries, and Hide Windows Entries.
4. Search for suspicious entries with weird names or running from locations like: C:\{username}\AppData\Roaming.
5. Right-click on suspicious entry and choose Delete. This will prevent the threat to run at startup.
6. Switch to Scheduled Tasks tab and do the same.
7. To remove files themselves, click on suspicious entries and choose Jump to Entry…. Remove files or registry keys found.

Remove files, folder and registry keys of Conhost.exe Virus

Conhost.exe Virus files and folders


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Conhost.exe Virus registry keys


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Aliases of Conhost.exe Virus

How to protect from threats, like Conhost.exe Virus, in future

Standard Windows protection or any decent third-party antivirus (Norton, Avast, Kaspersky) should be able to detect and remove Conhost.exe Virus. However, if you got infected with Conhost.exe Virus with existing and updated security software, you may consider changing it. To feel safe and protect your PC from Conhost.exe Virus on all levels (browser, e-mail attachments, Word or Excel scripts, file system) we recommend a leading provider of internet security solutions – BitDefender. Its solutions both for home and business users proved to be one of the most advanced and effective. Choose and get your BitDefender protection via the button below: