Navigating Malware Removal: My Experience with “Great Discover”

In the digital age, encountering malware is an unfortunate but common experience. This week, I found myself facing the unexpected challenge of a trojan called “Great Discover.” While I haven’t dealt with malware in over seven years, I realize that the landscape has evolved significantly, and I wanted to document my journey through the removal process in case it might assist someone else in a similar situation.

A Troubling Discovery

It all began when I stumbled upon a strange application running in my system tray. Clicking on it prompted a pop-up that instructed me to uninstall it through the standard apps menu, but there was a catch: it required solving a nearly impossible captcha. A quick Google search revealed that this was indeed malware, specifically a trojan used for cryptocurrency mining—though I’m still trying to wrap my head around what that entails.

Step-by-Step Removal Process

With only minimal resources available, I opted for a systematic approach to reclaim my system.

1. Browser Cleanup: My initial action was to completely clear my browser history and reset settings to their default. This step helped eliminate potential browser hijacking and unwanted extensions.

2. File System Examination: Next, I explored the C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86) directories, removing numerous suspicious folders with names I didn’t recognize and which appeared to have been created recently.

3. Control Panel Check: I also ventured into the Control Panel’s Programs and Features section, where I scoured through the list for unfamiliar applications and promptly removed anything that looked out of place.

Malware Scanning and Validation

After cleaning the visible aspects of my computer, I realized I needed a more thorough examination. I downloaded Malwarebytes for a full system scan, which initially revealed one threat. After quarantining and deleting it, I conducted another scan, which thankfully returned no further issues. I then enhanced my defenses by running Kaspersky’s virus removal tool, which also indicated that my system was free of malware.

Monitoring System Performance

I checked the Task Manager to monitor system resource usage and observed that the troublesome program had vanished. However, I noticed some oddities in my startup settings—applications like Discord and Spotify were opening automatically, even when I hadn’t enabled that functionality.

Final Security Checks

To ensure that my computer was indeed secure, I executed a command to check the hosts file and cross-referenced it with a guide, confirming