I've restored Windows 10 to four copies, yet the virus still returns!
I've restored Windows 10 to four copies, yet the virus still returns!
Over the past few months, I've faced several Trojan Horses alongside what looks like a miner program. It interferes with Windows Defender, Update and any third-party antivirus software. I decided to wipe everything clean by reinstalling my operating system, but it reappeared shortly after. During my research, I identified a possible origin in a suspicious email with an attachment that triggered all the warning signs. Although I usually avoid downloading questionable files, it seems the "Microsoft Mail and Calendar" app might be involved. I removed the message entirely and reinstalled the OS again—still it comes back! I'm unsure what I'm missing since I thoroughly scan my PC each time and get a clean result from my antivirus. Right now, I'm stuck without knowing where this Trojan is hiding and am worried about the time and productivity loss if I do another reinstall. Any advice would be greatly appreciated?
You're checking with a scan tool to verify the presence of a virus. It seems you believe the infection must come from downloading the attachment, not from other sources. Are there any additional drives or external storage devices connected that might have been compromised?
Are you using any programs downloaded from questionable sources? Do you rely on pirated applications or games? Please avoid installing anything from untrusted websites.
Restart the system and reinstall the operating system without any non-kosher programs. Test it. If it still fails, you might have a boot sector virus on spinning media.
AVG-Free is the third-party antivirus I rely on; it appears to detect any files that load into the operating system after Windows Update and Defender are removed but before they become active. Before, all internal and external hard drives underwent thorough scans both prior to and following an OS reinstall, with no issues detected (per AVG-Free). I’m not very experienced with Trojan detection, so I’ve included a screenshot for reference. Until then, I’m considering other possible sources of infection. I have some programs that I scan carefully before installation—currently all suspicious applications and their installers are clean. However, after removing the problematic email and attachments from both my inbox and hard drive, the issue has shifted to other potential threats. My setup includes an M.2 SSD for OS 3 HDDs used for programs and backups, plus two SSDs dedicated to games and caching.
I’ve gathered all downloads and installers from their official sites. Now I’m prepared to simplify the next reinstall process. I performed thorough scans on every installer, checking both before and after infection—results came back clean. It seems there might be something subtler at play, so I’ll follow some guidance to avoid installing anything from untrusted sources after a fresh OS setup. After a 1–2 week wait, I’ll observe how the situation develops.