Warning
Use an administrator account for these steps, and keep a recent backup before making repair or security changes.
What you will achieve
Evict malware without making things worse — isolation, scans, cleanup, then verify.
1) Isolate and scan offline
- Disconnect network if active malware is suspected.
- Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options.
- Run Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
2) Clean persistence points
- Check startup entries in Task Manager → Startup apps.
- Review browser extensions and uninstall unknown items.
- Inspect scheduled tasks and remove suspicious jobs.
3) Repair system files
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow