Minergate virus: what it is and how to remove it
Minergate is cryptocurrency GUI miner and mining pool that allows mining Bitcoins, Monero, and other virtual money. However, security vendors detect it as riskware because it might enter the system without the user's permission and use computer's resources (CPU) for mining.
Facts checked October 6, 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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Minergate 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 | Minergate virus |
| Type | Cryptominer |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| 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 3 more facts
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| First seen | 6 January 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What Minergate virus does
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Infiltration of the miner
Minergate has an official website.
However, evil-minded people tend to take advantage of it and might spread the obfuscated versions of the program in freeware or shareware bundles. In this case, criminals can easily trick inattentive computer users into downloading miners.
Therefore, you should be careful when downloading free programs from the Internet. Security specialists from avirus.hu suggest following these simple tips to avoid malicious programs:
We want to remind that the popular Quick/Recommended setup does not disclose about third-party applications. Thus, when you choose it, you give indirect permissions to all additional apps to get inside the system as well. Thus, rushing to install programs might cause you more problems.
- choose legitimate sources for freeware downloads;
- use Advanced/Custom instead of Quick/Recommended settings;
- read Privacy Policy, EULA, and other provided documents;
- reject installation of "optional downloads" by unmarking pre-selected ticks.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Getting rid of the Minergate
We highly recommend opting for the automatic Minergate removal using , or .
These programs can quickly identify and remove all malicious components from the system. If you try to locate miner-related entries manually, you might end up with a failure.
However, if you have problems with automatic elimination, for instance, you cannot download security software or run a system scan, follow the guide below. Such cyber threats might prevent from using antivirus or malware removal tools. Thus, you may need to take extra steps in order to remove Minergate.
[GI=method-1]If you cannot run automatic Minergate removal, follow these steps:
[GI=method-2]If the previous method did not work, follow these instructions:
How Minergate virus spreads and got on your PC
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Minergate is cryptocurrency GUI miner and mining pool that allows mining Bitcoins, Monero, and other virtual money.
However, security vendors detect it as riskware because it might enter the system without the user's permission and use computer's resources (CPU) for mining.
The so-called Minergate virus might operate as a Trojan horse. Thus, it might pretend to be a useful program. For this reason, users often are tricked into installing them without suspecting anything bad. However, security experts often remind to keep away from questionable download sources to avoid malware.
Additionally, Minergate malware might be promoted in software bundles and get inside the system when a person installs freeware incorrectly. Once inside, it might make system changes in order to boot with system startup. Therefore, when a user turns on the affected computer and connects to the Internet, miner starts making money illegally.
The biggest issue with miners is that they might use lots of computer's CPU. As a result, the system becomes sluggish. Victims might have to deal with slowdowns or crashing programs. What is more, infiltration of Minergate miner might lead to overheating, so the computer might be physically damaged.
As you may have already understood, the main signs that a mining program was installed on your computer are:
If you noticed these symptoms, you should run a full system scan with reputable anti-malware software to remove Minergate from the device. However, feel free to use any other reliable anti-malware or anti-virus software.
However, if you are thinking about manual Minergate removal, we would like to discourage you from this task. Miners are hard to detect and delete entirely without security software. Besides, attempts to uninstall these components manually may lead to damage to the system.
- diminished computer's performance;
- system slowdowns;
- inability to open or run particular software;
- the appearance of processes in Task Manager that uses high CPU rate.
How to remove Minergate virus
Miners hide when Task Manager opens and add Defender exclusions.
The steps deal with both, then remove the files.
Step 1: 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 Minergate 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 2: Remove it from startup
Whatever Minergate 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 3: Turn Microsoft Defender back on and remove its exclusions
Minergate virus turns protection off or adds exclusions so that Defender ignores it. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, open Manage settings and switch Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection and Tamper Protection back on.
Then open Add or remove exclusions at the bottom of that page and remove whatever you did not add yourself, for example a folder in
%AppData%or an entire drive. These pages look the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.Full procedure with screenshots: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment 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
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
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Questions about Minergate virus
Can I safely uninstall Minergate virus?
If you did not install Minergate virus yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows. Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name.
Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps. Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.
How do I stop programs like Minergate virus from being installed again?
Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.
Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Minergate virus before it reached the app list.
The PC is still slow after removing Minergate virus. What now?
Restart the PC first; some changes only take effect after a reboot. Then open Task Manager and check the Processes and Startup apps tabs for anything unfamiliar using the processor, disk or network. If something remains, run the Microsoft Defender offline scan once more.
Slowness can also come from a second infection installed alongside Minergate virus, or from programs that were damaged during the clean-up. If nothing helps, back up your files and reset Windows. Copy only documents and photos before a reset, and scan the copies.
Can I just delete the file Windows Security found?
Let Windows Security handle it instead. When it finds Minergate virus, choose Remove or Quarantine; the scanner also removes related startup entries and tasks that a manual delete would miss. Deleting a running file by hand often fails, and many threats restore themselves from a second copy.
After the removal, run the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which works before Windows starts and catches parts that hide while Windows runs. Then check Task Scheduler for leftovers. Restart afterwards and check that the detection does not return.
Should I worry about Minergate virus?
It deserves attention, not panic. The reported sign, minergate virus in the list of installed apps, shows that code from someone else is running on the PC, and such code rarely arrives alone. It is not known yet whether Minergate virus itself steals data, but the same sources that spread it often add a password stealer.
Remove it with the steps in this guide, run an offline scan, and change your important passwords from another device once the PC is clean. If the sign returns after removal, a reset of Windows is the more reliable fix. Most people who follow the plan carefully do not need to go that far.
How much electricity does a miner use?
It depends on the hardware and how hard the miner runs, so there is no single figure. A miner that keeps a desktop processor or graphics card busy around the clock can noticeably raise a household power bill over a month, and laptops lose battery life fast.
Some miners limit themselves to part of the available power to stay unnoticed, which lowers the cost but also hides the problem longer. Removing it is the only fix. Afterwards, idle use should fall back to a few percent.
Are my files and accounts safe after Minergate virus?
Your files are probably intact: nothing in the reports of Minergate virus mentions encryption or deletion, and the sign people saw is minergate virus in the list of installed apps. Accounts are the bigger question. Code that runs under your user account can read browser data, and threats like this one are often bundled with a stealer.
Until a scan proves the PC clean, avoid signing in to important accounts on it. Afterwards, change your main passwords from another device and turn on two-step verification. Check your e-mail for forwarding rules you did not set up, a common sign that an account was accessed.
How did Minergate virus get on my computer?
The route for Minergate virus is not documented yet. Malware that shows minergate virus in the list of installed apps usually arrives with something you ran yourself:
- a cracked program or game cheat
- a free tool from a mirror site
- a fake installer found through a search ad
- a file on a USB drive
Some infections are dropped later by a loader that was already on the PC. To find your source, sort Installed apps by install date and look at the Downloads folder for the days before the sign appeared. Remove that item as well; otherwise the same infection may come back after the clean-up.
Should I scan my other computers too?
It is a good idea, even for malware that does not spread by itself. The same download, USB stick or loader may have been used on other PCs in the household, and shared folders can carry files between them.
Run a full scan followed by the Microsoft Defender offline scan on each Windows PC that shared drives or files with the infected one. Do not copy programs or installers from the infected PC until it is clean, and change Wi-Fi and router passwords if they were saved on it.
Will Fortect remove Minergate 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 Minergate 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
- Kaspersky: What is Riskware? (read October 6, 2026)
- MIT Technology Review: Hijacking Computers to Mine Cryptocurrency Is All the Rage (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)
