I’m suspecting my Windows 10 laptop has a virus, but I can’t find it

Are You Experiencing Unexplained Performance Issues on Your Windows 10 Laptop? Here’s What to Do Next

If you’ve recently noticed your Windows 10 laptop running excessively hot, slashing through your disk space at an alarming rate, and experiencing sluggish performance, you may be facing an undetected virus or malware issue.

In the past month, you might have observed your laptop losing around 2GB of disk space daily, which is definitely unusual, especially if you haven’t installed or downloaded anything new. To make matters worse, performance degradation can dramatically affect your productivity and overall user experience.

Despite your best efforts to resolve the issue, running full system scans with well-regarded tools such as Malwarebytes and Windows Defender haven’t yielded any results. This can be incredibly frustrating, particularly if suspicious activities continue without clear resolution.

Here are some effective steps you can take to further investigate and potentially rectify this situation:

1. Check for Unwanted Programs: Use the Control Panel to review installed programs. Look for anything unfamiliar, as some malicious software might disguise itself under innocent names.

2. Utilize Additional Scanning Tools: Consider using other reputable antivirus or anti-malware tools. Programs like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, or AdwCleaner may detect threats that your current solutions have missed.

3. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking: While standard safe mode doesn’t allow Windows Defender to operate, Safe Mode with Networking might give you an opportunity to run scans without interference from other programs.

4. Clear Temporary Files: Use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove temporary files and unnecessary system files. This can help recover some lost space and improve performance.

5. Check Task Manager: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and examine the processes running on your system. Look for anything that appears out of the ordinary or consumes an unusual amount of resources.

6. Update Software and Security Definitions: Ensure that your operating system and security software are up-to-date. Often, updates include vital patches to combat newly discovered malware.

7. Consider a System Restore: If you suspect the issues began recently, consider restoring your system to a point where it was functioning correctly.

8. Backup Your Data: If the situation seems dire and you feel you may need to reset your laptop, ensure you have a secure backup of your important files.

9. Professional Help: If all else fails, seeking assistance from a