Excel.exe executable file is related to a malevolent program that can correctly be defined as a coin miner trojan. That malware type utilizes your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer roughly nonfunctional due to high CPU utilization.
What is Excel.exe process?
Excel.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
As I have actually specified previously, Excel.exe is a coin miner trojan virus. The names of the executive file may be different, but the impacts are usually the same. Because coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware capacity of your personal computer to run this operation. This malware does not take note of the fact that you probably need to use your PC for other activities – it will constantly use over 80% of your CPU power.
Excel.exe – Really high CPU as well as GPU usage
Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners additionally make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that situation, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is often utilized on 100%. It is not as crucial as CPU for system work, so Excel.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It sometimes can lead to sad results.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful PC is required. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms usually consist of tens and hundreds of video cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. 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
How dangerous is the Excel.exe miner?
Coin miners does not deal damage to your files. However, they make a lot of unpleasant things with the whole system
First, Excel.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications now, since all processor power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your wants, all it focuses on is generating profits on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely experience incredibly sluggish efficiency. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.
Excel.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Excel.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Rdpsaproxy.exe, Locationnotificationwindows.exe, Gameinputsvc.exe |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Excel.exe removal. |
“Visible” damage is not a single bad activity coin miners perform to your PC. Excel.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your operating system. To carry out all malicious functions effectively, it wrecks the security 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 load of new notes – they are brought in 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 slowing down your computer, running at peak level for long times may cause damage to your device as well as increase electricity expenses. PC elements are designed to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.
Small and well-protected CPU cooling system is not very easy to crack. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if affected while spinning, for example, by the user much before the virus injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Excel.exe miner can easily lead to graphic card failure3. Graphic cards are also prone to have very fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is surely an unwanted situation when the performance of your GPU plunges 20-30% just after several weeks of being exploited in such a way.
How did I get Excel.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 “serious” malware. Adware sometimes serves as a carrier for Excel.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics show that about 30% of all malware spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and Excel.exe is just among them.4
The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet
One more way you could get this item on your PC is by downloading it from the dubious web page as a part of a program. People that spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to earn money. Thus, there is a huge lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and receive a coin for each installation. Prior to criticizing these people for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus program as well as new parts for your computer.
How to remove the Excel.exe miner from my PC?
The best way to get rid of this coin miner virus is to use anti-malware software
Removing such a virus requires using specific program. Appropriate antivirus should have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage even on weak PCs. Additionally, it is recommended to have proactive protection in your protection solution – to halt the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender lacks these functions for different reasons. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that goal. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect option that fits each of the mentioned features.5
Prior to the malware removal, it is important to boot your system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Excel.exe miner takes a lot of CPU power, it is required 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.
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.
When your system is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps, along with the majority of non-critical Windows 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 Excel.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.
After activating your free trial, start Full scan. It may last up to 10 minutes. You may use the PC as usual.
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.
Now, you are good to go. Reboot your PC into a normal Windows mode and use just as there was nothing malicious.
Remove Excel.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner
Name: Excel.exe
Description: The Excel.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Excel.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
User Review
( votes)References
- Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.
- Detailed explanation of how does cryptomining work.
- About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
- Read more about various malware type on Cybersecurity Glossary.
- Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
