Compattelrunner.exe Virus ⛏️ Miner or Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry?

Written by Robert Bailey
Compattelrunner.exe (Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry) executable file is related tothe Microsoft Windows telemetry system. This system collects usage and performance data to Microsoft so they can understand how people use Windows, then improve it. Some trojan miners are masked for CompatTelRunner process to mislead you.
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What is Compattelrunner.exe process?

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

As I have specified in the previous paragraph, Compattelrunner.exe is a coin miner trojan virus. The names of the .exe file may be diverse, however, the effects are usually identical. Because coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they use all possible hardware power of your PC to conduct this operation. This malware does not care about the fact that you probably want to use your PC for other tasks – it will consistently use over 80% of your processor power.

Compattelrunner.exe Windows Process

Compattelrunner.exe – Very high CPU and GPU use

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners additionally make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is often used on 100%. It is not as vital as the processor for system work, so Compattelrunner.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use all of it. It often can result in bad effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is an integral element of anything based on blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a strong desktop is required. Exactly, the GPU is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of dozens of GPUs to complete their task efficiently. Such systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ hardware instead, even if they are used for regular activity.1

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 Compattelrunner.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, Compattelrunner.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, since all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your demands, all it pays attention to is making money on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely struggle with exceptionally sluggish efficiency. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person that works online.

    Compattelrunner.exe Technical Summary.

    File NameCompattelrunner.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorZoomx.exe, Example.exe, Clap.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Compattelrunner.exe removal.

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary unpleasant thing coin miners do to your personal computer. Compattelrunner.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your operating system. To perform all malevolent operations effectively, it ruins the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a lot of new entries – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these changes are about to be gone back to the original in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your computer slow, running at peak power for a long period of time may trigger damage to your machine as well as raise electricity expenses. Hardware elements are created to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Small and well-protected CPU cooling system is not very easy to damage. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if touched while working, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the very high load caused by Compattelrunner.exe virus can easily lead to GPU failure2. GPUs are also prone to have increased wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is likely a bad case when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Compattelrunner.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 the most prevalent malicious programs through “serious” malware. Adware often functions as a carrier for Compattelrunner.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that around 30% of all viruses spread with the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Compattelrunner.exe is right with them.3

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    One more way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the untrustworthy website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to make money. Thus, there is a huge temptation to add in malware to the final package of the hacked app and receive a coin for every setup. Before blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid paying for the program in such a way? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus program and new parts for your computer.

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

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

    Getting rid of such a virus needs using specific app. Effective security tool should have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization even on weak systems. On top of that, it is recommended to have on-run security in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for different reasons. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an ideal choice that fits all of the mentioned features.4

    Before the virus removal, it is important to reboot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Compattelrunner.exe miner consumes 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 system is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, along with the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not launched with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Compattelrunner.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 Compattelrunner.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Compattelrunner.exe

    Description: The Compattelrunner.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Compattelrunner.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. Detailed explanation of how does crypto mining work.
    2. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
    3. Read more about various malware type on Cybersecurity Glossary.
    4. 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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