GOZ virus: what it is and how to remove it
GOZ virus (also known as GameOver Zeus, P2PZeus and GameOver Trojan) is a dangerous trojan horse, which has ability to steal people's banking logins, passwords and other credentials or sensitive information. It can also be involved to the distribution of Cryptolocker ransomware and other ransomwares that have ability to encrypt specific files that are kept on user's computer and then ask to pay a ransom for their decryption.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Start the stepsGOZ virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | GOZ virus |
| Type | Loader |
| Symptoms | An unknown process in Task Manager |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 4 more facts
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| File names | explorer.exe |
| First seen | 26 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What GOZ virus does on an infected PC
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
What is Goz virus?
GOZ virus (also known as GameOver Zeus, P2PZeus and GameOver Trojan) is a dangerous trojan horse, which has ability to steal people's banking logins, passwords and other credentials or sensitive information. It can also be involved to the distribution of Cryptolocker ransomware and other ransomwares that have ability to encrypt specific files that are kept on user's computer and then ask to pay a ransom for their decryption.
Unfortunately, if GOZ virus downloads Cryptolocker or other cyber threat to the system, anti-malware helps only in the removal of this virus. Encrypted files can be decrypted only by paying a ransom, which varies from $100 to $500... Fortunately, you can try using such programs as R-studio and Photorec for recovering your files but we can't assure you that these program will work on your computer.
UPDATE! There is a hope that this virus won't affect your system - according to the latest news, FBI has managed to take GOZ virus down. However, it is believed that millions of PC users are still infected with this Trojan horse.
For that we would like to recommend using . Of course, before running it you should update its database. Please, do NOT delay this scan because Goz malware can easily lead you to money loss, identity theft and similar issues.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How can GOZ virus infect my computer?
GOZ virus is mostly spread in the US, Canada and Russia.
It is mostly done with a help of spam campaigns that involve malicious attachments and message body that informs about "important" situation. Once victim is tricked into believing that something is wrong and clicks on the attachment, he/she downloads a malicious .exe file that is a GOZ virus.
The most interesting fact about this Trojan horse is its Peer-to-Peer capability that is used for downloading a configuration file. Please, be very careful with emalis that present themselves as important messages from FDIC, IRS, MySpace, Facebook, or Microsoft. If you think that your PC was affected, don't waste the time and follow a guide that is given below:
How to check the PC for GOZ virus
- File:
explorer.exe
How to remove GOZ virus
A loader's job is to install other malware, so treat the PC as infected with more than one program until the scans are clean.
Step 1: Check where explorer.exe runs from and stop it
explorer.exeis the part you can see, and its location tells you whether it belongs there. Right-click it on the Processes page of Task Manager and choose Open file location, then right-click the file > Properties > Digital Signatures to see who signed it.An unsigned file, or one in a user folder such as
%AppData%, is the one to remove: end the task, then delete the file.Note the folder name, because the same folder usually holds its other files. This is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 2: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Open Task Scheduler from the Start menu and click Task Scheduler Library. Select each task you do not recognise and read the Actions tab:
- a task that starts a file in
%AppData%or%Temp% - runs
powershellwith a long encoded line - opens a web address belongs to GOZ virus or a similar program
Right-click such a task and choose Delete, and check the subfolders too. Leave tasks from Microsoft, your PC's maker and programs you use. Task Scheduler is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
- a task that starts a file in
Step 3: Remove it from startup
Whatever GOZ virus installed usually starts with Windows. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 4: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 6: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Assume that the passwords saved in this PC's browsers, and the accounts that were open in them, are known to the attacker. From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and gaming accounts.
Use each service's option to sign out of all other sessions, because stolen cookies keep a session open even after a password change. Turn on two-step verification on each account. Wait with the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC until the scans are clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How to remove GOZ virus?
When trying to remove GOZ virus from the system, you should think about reputable anti-spyware.
Make sure you use updated versions to detect all files that belong to this dangerous virus. If GOZ has already infected your PC with Cryptolocker virus or similar ransomware, try to follow these steps:
Also, it's advisable to have a backup of your data. If you would use USB, CD's, DVD's or at least online backups, you would get ability to avoid problems related to encrypted data. If you want to restore your files, you may try using such recovery tools as R-studio and Photorec.
- Reboot you infected PC to 'Safe mode with command prompt' to disable virus (this should be working with all versions of this threat)
- Run Regedit
- Search for WinLogon Entries and write down all the files that are not explorer.exe or blank. Replace them with explorer.exe.
- Search the registry for these files you have written down and delete the registry keys referencing the files.
- Reboot and run a full system scan with updated .
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Accounts come next
Because the PC showed an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager, a sign of a program that could read browser data, the clean-up is only half of the work.
The other half happens in your online accounts.
Change passwords from a clean device, beginning with e-mail; sign out of all sessions; check forwarding rules and recovery phone numbers; and turn on two-step verification with an authenticator app or a passkey. Ask your bank to replace cards saved in the browser.
Why the order matters and what to check in each account: secure your accounts after malware.
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity.
While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important - recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data.
Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
Questions about GOZ virus
What is explorer.exe and why is it running?
Every process is started by something:
- a program you installed
- a Windows service
- a scheduled task
- a startup entry
To learn why explorer.exe runs, find its file with Open file location in Task Manager, then look for an entry pointing to that file in Settings > Apps > Startup and in Task Scheduler.
Sort Installed apps by date to see what arrived when the process first appeared. Once you know the owner, you can decide whether to keep it, switch it off at startup or uninstall it completely.
Can I end explorer.exe in Task Manager?
Ending an unknown process is safe in the sense that Windows will warn you before you close anything critical, and a restart brings back whatever Windows needs. Ending explorer.exe will not remove it, though: if a task or startup entry launches it, it returns at the next sign-in.
Use ending the process as a test. If something important stops working, it belonged to a program you use. If nothing changes and it comes back by itself, find and disable its starter, delete the file and scan the PC.
Can I just delete explorer.exe?
Deleting explorer.exe by hand rarely removes GOZ virus. While the trojan runs, Windows may refuse to delete the file, and if you succeed, a scheduled task, a service or a second copy may bring it back at the next restart.
The file can also be only one part of the infection: loaders and remote access tools often install other programs. Use the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which removes the file together with its startup entries before Windows loads, and then check startup items and scheduled tasks as described in the plan.
Can a normal remote support program be a backdoor?
Yes. Tools such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer and ScreenConnect are legitimate, but whoever controls the account behind them controls the PC. Scammers install them during fake support calls, and some trojan campaigns install them silently because antivirus programs do not flag a genuine, signed product.
If you find one you did not set up, uninstall it, check Startup apps for related entries and change passwords from another device. If money or accounts were involved, call your bank and report the incident.
Can GOZ virus spread to other devices on my network?
Most trojans aimed at home users stay on the PC they infected, but an attacker with remote access can look at the network, open shared folders and try passwords on other devices. Loaders sometimes deliver worms or ransomware that do spread.
Disconnect the PC while cleaning, run a full scan on other Windows PCs, change the router's admin password and the Wi-Fi password if they were saved on the infected PC, and update the router's firmware. If other PCs show the same detection, treat them as infected too.
How dangerous is GOZ virus?
Treat it as serious until proven otherwise. The visible sign is an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager, and programs that behave this way often have more abilities than they show:
- copying passwords
- downloading other malware
- giving remote access
Its family is not known yet, so nobody can say which of these it uses. The good news is that the response is the same in every case and takes about an hour:
- cut the network
- remove the startup entry
- run an offline scan
- change passwords from a clean device
If someone had remote control, a full reset is safer.
Why can't I find GOZ virus in antivirus databases?
Because it is new or because it is listed under a different name. Antivirus companies name threats after the family they belong to, and a program that appears as GOZ virus on your PC may carry a generic or unrelated label in their databases.
Many new samples are first detected only by behaviour, without a family name. What you saw, an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager, is enough to act on:
- end the program
- remove its startup entry
- run a Microsoft Defender offline scan
- secure your accounts
A detection name from a scan is worth noting for later.
Is a trojan infection worth reporting to the police?
If there was harm, yes. Unauthorised payments, accounts used for fraud, blackmail or a remote session during a scam call all belong in a report, and banks often ask for its reference number before they refund anything.
If antivirus caught GOZ virus before it ran and nothing was misused, there is nothing to report. Keep the evidence anyway:
- protection history
- the original download
- the dates
Businesses may also have to notify a data protection authority if personal data could have been accessed.
What are the signs of a trojan infection?
Most trojans try to leave no visible signs, so look for side effects. Common ones:
- Windows Security turned off or unable to update
- new entries in Startup apps or Task Scheduler
- programs in Installed apps you did not install
- browser settings that changed by themselves
- unusual network activity while the PC is idle
- password-reset or login-alert e-mails you did not trigger
None of these proves an infection on its own. Together with an antivirus alert naming GOZ virus, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Will Fortect remove GOZ virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For GOZ virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)