Tskschd.exe executable file is related to a malicious application that can properly be defined as a coin miner trojan. That malware form utilizes your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system pretty much unfunctional due to high CPU utilization.
What is Tskschd.exe process?
Tskschd.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
Tskschd.exe – Really high CPU as well as GPU usage
Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners also use GPU power for their tasks. In that instance, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually used on 100%. It is not as crucial as processor for system work, so Tskschd.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It often may cause bad consequences.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a very strong machine is required. Exactly, the video card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of dozens of video cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Crooks who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ hardware instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2
List of the typical coin miner symptoms
How dangerous is the Tskschd.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, Tskschd.exe virus makes your computer 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 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 suffer from extremely sluggish performance. Pages will open up for years, any sort of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person who does a job online.
Tskschd.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Tskschd.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Factor.exe, Ks_bridge.exe, Gminer.exe |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Tskschd.exe removal. |
“Visible” damage is not a solitary unpleasant thing coin miners do to your computer. Tskschd.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To perform all malicious functions successfully, it ruins the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton 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 gone back to the initial state in the process of computer recovery.
Hardware effects of coin miner activity
Besides making your PC slow, running at peak power for a long period of time can cause damage to your machine as well as increase power costs. Hardware elements are designed to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.
Small and covered processor fan is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if touched while running, for instance, by the user much earlier before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Tskschd.exe malware can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure3. Graphic cards are also prone to have increased wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an unwanted case when the performance of your GPU decreases on 20-30% just after several weeks of being used in such a way.
How did I get Tskschd.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 widespread malevolent programs through “severe” viruses. Adware sometimes serves as a carrier for Tskschd.exe malware injection: it shows you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that approximately 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Tskschd.exe is right among them.
The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet
An additional way you could get this item on your PC is by downloading it from the dubious site as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of favored programs (which do not require the license key) have small chances to earn money. Hence, there is a huge lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for each installation. Prior to blaming these guys for hacking and also 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 greater figure for antivirus software and new parts for your desktop.
How to remove the Tskschd.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.
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 applications, 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 processor usage of the coin miner.
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.
Leave a Comment