Upgrader.exe executable file is related to a malevolent application that can correctly be identified as a coin miner virus. That malware type utilizes your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin[efn_note]Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.[/efn_note]. It makes your computer roughly unfunctional as a result of high CPU utilization.
What is Upgrader.exe process?
Upgrader.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
As I have mentioned earlier, Upgrader.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the .exe file may be diverse, but the effects are usually the same. Because coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all possible hardware capacity of your personal computer to perform this procedure. This malware doesn’t take note of the fact that you may want to use your desktop for other activities – it will constantly take over 80% of your processor power.
Upgrader.exe – Extremely high CPU as well as GPU use
Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners also make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will probably struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is often utilized on 100%. It is not as vital as processor for system work, so Upgrader.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can lead to unhappy consequences.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
Crypto mining means the action 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 strong machine is needed. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of dozens of video cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ computers instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.
List of the typical coin miner symptoms
How dangerous is the Upgrader.exe miner?
Coin miners does not deal damage to your files. However, they make a lot of unpleasant things with the whole system
Firstly, Upgrader.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, as all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your needs, all it focuses on 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 will open up for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.
Upgrader.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Upgrader.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Adsknlm.exe, Robloxplayerbeta.exe, Mprochandler.virus/ |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Upgrader.exe removal. |
“Visible” harm is not a single bad activity coin miners do to your PC. Upgrader.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To complete all malicious functions properly, it ruins the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a load of new entries – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these changes shall be thrown back to the initial state in the process of PC recovery.
Hardware effects of coin miner activity
Besides making your computer slow, running at peak power for a long period of time can trigger damage to your machine and increase power expenses. Hardware components are created to easily get along with high load, but they can do so only in case when they are in a good shape.
Little and well-protected CPU fan is hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have big 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 Upgrader.exe virus can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure. Video cards are also prone to have very fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an unwanted case when your GPU’s performance decreases on 20-30% just after several weeks of being exploited in such a way.
How did I get Upgrader.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 common malicious programs among “severe” malware. Adware sometimes functions as a carrier for Upgrader.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics say that about 30% of all malware spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Upgrader.exe is just one of them.
The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet
Another way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the dubious site as a part of a program. Users that spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not require the license key) have small chances to earn money. Thus, there is a very big lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every installation. Before blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus program and new parts for your computer.
How to remove the Upgrader.exe miner from my PC?
The best way to get rid of this coin miner virus is to use anti-malware software
Eliminating such a virus involves making use of specific tool. Proper antivirus should have high performance at scanning and be lightweight – in order to make no problems with usage even on weak systems. Furthermore, it is recommended to have proactive protection in your protection tool – to stop the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender lacks these elements for various reasons. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that objective. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a superb option that fits all of the mentioned qualities.[efn_note]Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.[/efn_note]
Prior to the virus removal, it is important to boot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Upgrader.exe miner consumes a lot of processor capacity, it is needed 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 applications, just like the majority of non-critical Windows 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.
Remove Upgrader.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.
