Autoconv.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Autoconv.exe process belongs to a malevolent program that can properly be defined as a coin miner trojan. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your computer roughly unusable due to high CPU utilization.
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What is Autoconv.exe process?

Autoconv.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus

As I have actually specified before, Autoconv.exe is a coin miner trojan. The names of the executive file may be diverse, however, the consequences are almost always the same. Since coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware power of your desktop to run this procedure. This malware does not care about the fact that you may want to make use of your desktop for other tasks – it will always consume over 80% of your CPU power.

Autoconv.exe Windows Process

Autoconv.exe – Really high CPU/GPU use

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners additionally utilize GPU power for their operations. In that case, you will probably struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is often used on 100%. It is not as critical as CPU for system work, so Autoconv.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It often may lead to sad effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining means the activity of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a high-end computer is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of tens and hundreds of graphic cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Crooks who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ computers instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Microsoft Defender is stopped;
  • CPU and GPU is loaded at 80-90% exactly after the system start
  • Cooling fans are running at high speed and create a lot of noise
  • A single process in Task Manager consumes all CPU and GPU power
  • How dangerous is the Autoconv.exe miner?

    Coin miners does not deal damage to your files. However, they make a lot of unpleasant things with the whole system

    First off, Autoconv.exe virus makes your PC overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, as all processor power is consumed by a malware. That malware does not care for your necessities, all it focuses on is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely experience exceptionally sluggish efficiency. Pages can open up for years, any sort of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person that does a job online.

    Autoconv.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name Autoconv.exe
    Type Trojan Coin Miner
    Detection Name Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution Method Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behavior Autochk.exe, Sapisvr.exe, Gamebarftserver.exe
    Removal Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Autoconv.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a solitary negative thing coin miners do to your computer. Autoconv.exe coin miner also deals damage to your OS. To conduct all malevolent operations correctly, it wrecks the protection mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious mining network. All these changes are about to be reverted to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, performing at peak level for a long period of time can trigger damage to your device as well as increase electricity bills. PC elements are designed to easily get along with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Small and covered CPU cooling system is hard to damage. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if affected while working, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Autoconv.exe can easily lead to graphic card failure3. GPUs are also tend to have fast wearing when utilized for cryptocurrency mining. It is likely a bad situation when the performance of your video card plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Autoconv.exe coin miner virus?

    Coin miners are spread through different ways, but their main sources are malicious banners and programs from dubious sources

    Coin miners are one of the most prevalent malicious programs through “major” malware. Adware sometimes works as a carrier for Autoconv.exe malware injection: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics show that about 30% of all viruses spread with the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Autoconv.exe is right with them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    An additional way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the untrustworthy site as a part of a program. People who spread hacked versions of popular programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to earn money. Thus, there is a huge lure to add in malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for each setup. Prior to criticizing these people for hacking and malware distribution, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid paying for the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus program as well as new parts for your PC.

    How to remove the Autoconv.exe miner from my PC?

    The best way to get rid of this coin miner virus is to use anti-malware software

    Eliminating such a virus requires the use of specific tool. Appropriate anti-malware program should have high efficiency at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to make no problems with utilization even on weak systems. Additionally, it is recommended to have on-run protection in your security tool – to halt the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for various factors. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that objective. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a superb choice that fits each of the mentioned qualities.5

    Before the virus removal, it is important to reboot your system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Autoconv.exe miner takes a lot of CPU capacity, it is needed to stop it before launching the security program. Otherwise, your scan will last for years, even though the GridinSoft program is pretty lightweight.

    Booting the PC into Safe Mode with Networking

    Press the Start button, then choose Power, and click on Reboot while holding the Shift key on the keyboard.

    Boot into Windows Safe Mode

    Windows will reboot into recovery mode. In that mode, choose Troubleshoot→ Startup Settings→ Safe Mode with Networking. Press the corresponding button on your keyboard to choose that option.

    windows safe mode boot option with command prompt

    When your PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps, just like the majority of non-crucial system components, are not launched with the system start. That allows you to clean the computer without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Autoconv.exe coin miner virus with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

    Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. You can use this anti-malware program for free during its 6-day trial period. In that term, all functions are available, and it takes no payments to remove malware from your system.

    GridinSoft Anti-Malware free trial

    After activating your free trial, start Full scan. It may last up to 10 minutes. You may use the PC as usual.

    Scanning in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

    When the scan is finished, press the Clean Now button to remove all detected elements from your system. This procedure takes less than a minute.

    GridinSoft Anti-Malware after the scan process

    Now, you are good to go. Reboot your PC into a normal Windows mode and use just as there was nothing malicious.

    Remove Autoconv.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Autoconv.exe

    Description: The Autoconv.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Autoconv.exe will create your CPU to go for very warm temperatures for prolonged periods of time, which could reduce the life of the CPU.

    Operating System: Windows

    Application Category: Trojan

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    References

    1. Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.
    2. Detailed explanation of how does cryptomining work.
    3. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
    4. Read more about various malware type on Cybersecurity Glossary.
    5. Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

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    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    I'm Robert Bailey, a passionate Security Engineer with a deep fascination for all things related to malware, reverse engineering, and white hat ethical hacking.

    As a white hat hacker, I firmly believe in the power of ethical hacking to bolster security measures. By identifying vulnerabilities and providing solutions, I contribute to the proactive defense of digital infrastructures.

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