Displayhelp.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Displayhelp.exe executable file is related to a malicious application that can properly be recognized as a coin miner virus. That malware type uses your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, generally – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system pretty much unfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Displayhelp.exe process?

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

As I have actually specified in the introduction, Displayhelp.exe is a coin miner trojan. The names of the executive file may be different, but the consequences are generally the identical. Because coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all possible hardware capacity of your PC to run this process. This malware doesn’t care about the fact that you probably need to use your computer for other activities – it will constantly use over 80% of your CPU power.

Displayhelp.exe Windows Process

Displayhelp.exe – Extremely high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners also utilize GPU power for their operations. In that instance, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually used on 100%. It is not as crucial as processor for system work, so Displayhelp.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It sometimes may result in sad effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining term means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful PC is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of dozens of graphic cards to complete their task efficiently. Such systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Crooks who make profit 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 Displayhelp.exe miner?

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

    Firstly, Displayhelp.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, as all processor power is consumed by a virus. That malware does not care for your needs, all it pays attention to is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely experience extremely sluggish efficiency. Pages can open for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person that works online.

    Displayhelp.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name Displayhelp.exe
    Type Trojan Coin Miner
    Detection Name Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution Method Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behavior Pup.optional, Ohgodanethlargementpill.exe, 000.exe
    Removal Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Displayhelp.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a single bad activity coin miners perform to your system. Displayhelp.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To perform all malevolent functions correctly, it ruins the security 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 entries – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be reverted to the initial state in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, performing at peak level for long times may cause damage to your device and increase power expenses. PC components are created to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and covered CPU cooling system is hard to broke. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if touched while spinning, for example, by the user much earlier before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Displayhelp.exe miner can easily lead to graphic card failure3. Graphic cards are also prone to have fast wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely an undesirable case when your GPU’s performance decreases on 20-30% only after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Displayhelp.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 widespread malevolent programs among “severe” viruses. Adware frequently functions as a carrier for Displayhelp.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics say that around 30% of all malware spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and Displayhelp.exe is right among them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    An additional way you could get this thing on your PC is by downloading it from the untrustworthy web page as a part of a program. People that spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to earn money. Hence, there is a very big temptation to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every installation. Before criticizing these people for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater figure for antivirus program as well as new parts for your PC.

    How to remove the Displayhelp.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 requires using specific software. Proper anti-malware program must have high efficiency at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to make no problems with usage even on weak systems. On top of that, it is recommended to have on-run protection in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these elements for different reasons. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that purpose. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great option that fits each of the mentioned features.5

    Before the malware removal, it is important to reboot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Displayhelp.exe miner takes a lot of CPU capacity, it is needed to halt 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 computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party software, along with the majority of non-critical operating system components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the system without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Displayhelp.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 Displayhelp.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Displayhelp.exe

    Description: The Displayhelp.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Displayhelp.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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