Pc_pcpc.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Pc_pcpc.exe executable file is related to a malevolent program that can accurately be defined 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 usage.
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What is Pc_pcpc.exe process?

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

As I have actually specified earlier, Pc_pcpc.exe is a coin miner trojan virus. The names of the executive file may be diverse, however, the consequences are generally the same. Considering that coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware capacity of your personal computer to perform this operation. This virus does not take note of the fact that you probably want to make use of your PC for other tasks – it will consistently use over 80% of your CPU power.

Pc_pcpc.exe Windows Process

Pc_pcpc.exe – Very high CPU as well as GPU usage

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners additionally use 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 vital as processor for system work, so Pc_pcpc.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It often may result in bad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining term means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a strong PC is required. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms usually consist of dozens of video cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Crooks who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ PCs instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Your device overheats (system unit/laptop body is very hot)
  • You are not able to open your apps or they are opening for ages
  • Unknown process is running in the background and consumes your PC resources
  • Windows Defender does not respond
  • How dangerous is the Pc_pcpc.exe miner?

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

    First of all, Pc_pcpc.exe virus makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, as all processor power is consumed by a malware. That malware does not care for your wants, all it focuses on is making money on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely suffer from exceptionally slow efficiency. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person that works online.

    Pc_pcpc.exe Technical Summary.

    File NamePc_pcpc.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorEntertainment.exe, Hxoutlook.exe, Roclin.click
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Pc_pcpc.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a single unpleasant thing coin miners do to your computer. Pc_pcpc.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To perform all malevolent operations effectively, it wrecks the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number of new notes – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious cryptomining network. All these adjustments shall be thrown back to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your computer slow, performing at peak power for a long period of time can trigger damage to your device and raise power bills. Hardware components are designed to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Compact and covered processor fan is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily cracked if affected while spinning, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Pc_pcpc.exe virus can easily lead to GPU failure3. Graphic cards are also tend to have increased wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely a bad case when the performance of your graphic card decreases on 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Pc_pcpc.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 “severe” malware. Adware often acts as a carrier for Pc_pcpc.exe malware injection: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics show that around 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Pc_pcpc.exe is right among them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    Another 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 variants of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to get paid. Therefore, there is a very big lure to add malware to the final package of the hacked application and acquire a coin for each installation. Before blaming these guys for hacking and malware distribution, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid purchasing the program in such a way? 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 Pc_pcpc.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 demands making use of special software. Proper anti-malware program must have high capability at scanning and be lightweight – in order to make no problems with utilization also on weak computers. Furthermore, it is better to have proactive protection in your security tool – to prevent the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for different factors. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a superb choice that fits each of the mentioned qualities.5

    Prior to the virus removal, it is important to boot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Pc_pcpc.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU capacity, 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.

    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 programs, just like the majority of non-crucial system components, are not started with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the computer without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Pc_pcpc.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 Pc_pcpc.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Pc_pcpc.exe

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