Dtsapo3service.exe Virus (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Dtsapo3service.exe is a file associated with DTS Audio Processing, a software package developed by DTS, Inc. The file is signed by DTS, Inc., which means that the file has been digitally signed and verified by the company. Digital signatures are used to authenticate the identity of the software publisher and ensure that the software has not been tampered with or modified since it was signed. In the case of Dtsapo3service.exe, the digital signature indicates that the file is a legitimate component of the DTS Audio Processing software and has not been tampered with. If file Dtsapo3service.exe is not signed – it is a coin miner virus

What is Dtsapo3service.exe process?

Dtsapo3service.exe is a file associated with DTS Audio Processing or it can be created by coin miner virus

As I have mentioned earlier, Dtsapo3service.exe can be a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file may be diverse, but the consequences are usually the same. Since coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all possible hardware power of your personal computer to perform this operation. This malware does not pay attention to the fact that you may want to use your computer for other tasks – it will continuously take over 80% of your processor power.

Dtsapo3service.exe Windows Process

Dtsapo3service.exe – Extremely high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners additionally utilize GPU power for their operations. In that situation, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as critical as a processor for system work, so Dtsapo3service.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It sometimes may cause bad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Extremely bad performance
  • CPU/GPU cooler fan creates a lot of noise
  • High temperature of the device (for laptops)
  • 80-90% consumption of CPU/GPU resources by an unknown process
  • Microsoft Defender is not working
  • How dangerous is the Dtsapo3service.exe miner?

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

    First, Dtsapo3service.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, because all processor power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your necessities, all it focuses on is generating profits on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely struggle with extremely slow performance. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a horror story for a person that works online.

    Dtsapo3service.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name Dtsapo3service.exe
    Type Trojan Coin Miner
    Detection Name Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution Method Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behavior Atkexcomsvc.exe, Asusfancontrolservice.exe, Gamesdk.exe
    Removal Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Dtsapo3service.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a solitary negative thing coin miners perform to your personal computer. Dtsapo3service.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To complete all malevolent operations correctly, it ruins the protection mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to prevent recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number 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 thrown back to the original in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, running at peak power for a long period of time can cause damage to your device as well as increase power bills. Hardware components are designed to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only in case when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and well-protected processor cooling system is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if touched while working, for instance, by the user much before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Dtsapo3service.exe miner can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure2. Video cards are also tend to have fast wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is surely an unwanted case when the performance of your graphic card decreases on 20-30% just after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Dtsapo3service.exe coin miner virus?

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

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    One more way you could get this thing on your PC is by downloading it from the unreliable website as a part of a program. People that spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not demand 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 app and get a coin for every setup. Prior to criticizing these people for hacking and malware distribution, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid purchasing the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much bigger sum for antivirus program and new parts for your computer.

    How to remove the Dtsapo3service.exe miner from my PC?

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

    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 applications, along with the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the system without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    References

    1. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.

    Spanish Turkish

    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    Security engineer focused on malware behavior, removal workflows, and Windows hardening. Robert reviews threat articles for practical accuracy, checking detection names, symptoms, and cleanup steps before publication.

    Leave a Comment