Skeeyah: what it is and how to remove it
Skeeyah is malware behind a detection name Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock that appears on the screen when AV tools detect anything even suspicious or potentially dangerous. The notification about it appears seemingly out of nowhere, so it often leaves users baffled about where it is coming from.
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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Skeeyah: summary
| Name | Skeeyah |
|---|---|
| Type | Backdoor trojan |
| Also known as | Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock |
| Dangers | Can steal personal information and misuse it for bad purposes, also, this virus might use your private Facebook (or another type) account to commit attempts against your friends |
| Symptoms | Barely any. However, you might recognize high CPU usage, struggling applications, dubious registries in the Windows Registry, and so on |
| Prevention | Avoid opening questionable emails, install antivirus software, do not enter rogue-looking websites |
| 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 8 more facts
| Delete it | Remove the virus permanently with an anti-malware tool that can clear any of the threats completely |
|---|---|
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 6 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| First seen | 5 March 2021 |
| Microsoft Defender name | Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What Skeeyah does on an infected PC
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
Skeeyah is the trojan that can open backdoors and let any attacker access your computer
Skeeyah is malware behind a detection name Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock that appears on the screen when AV tools detect anything even suspicious or potentially dangerous.
The notification about it appears seemingly out of nowhere, so it often leaves users baffled about where it is coming from. In fact, those that do not have a sufficient security program installed would never notice the infiltration of the stealthy trojan.
While the detection can be triggered on Windows Defender or another security tool due to an active malware attack, another option is when the leftovers of the virus are not eliminated properly. This usually happens due to some Windows file corruption, thus a scan with another security software might be necessary.
Skeeyah malware spreads around on its own and can run in the background for a while without the victim noticing the activity. The cyber threat is a backdoor Trojan horse that might easily steal your personal information. You need to run a proper scan with an anti-malware tool, so you can clean the machine and eliminate any traces of this or another virus.
Once this dangerous virus is in your computer system, it installs another malware that lets the criminals steal sensitive data that is kept on the infected PC, such as banking info, credit card details, email passwords, logins, and so on.
Nevertheless, cyber crooks who spread the virus for their own bad purposes can use your accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, etc., to attack your friends or other innocent people. This type of activity might get you looking like the guilty one. However, trojans have a wide range of negative features, and they need to be removed as quickly as possible before more damage has been done.
Skeeyah trojan has been spreading through different computer systems, and users have been talking about this activity. Victims, who reported this virus have claimed that Windows Defender finds Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock, but apparently it is not that easy to get rid of .
However, this dangerous backdoor is known for stealing private data such as banking details, account passwords, and so on. If you hesitate to eliminate the threat and wait for this malicious activity to happen, you might face the consequences of data misusage.
Cybercriminals can sell this data on the dark web, then other hackers can use such credentials in direct scam campaigns. Moreover, if the infection manages to enter some of your online accounts, note that they might also be misused for attacking others. This might put the guilt on you.
Nevertheless, such trojans can inject illegal content, e.g. child or teenage porn, straight into your computer, and as you know, such a thing is a very big crime. Sadly, trojans show barely any symptoms and might be too hard to spot on time, but some signs might be a signal about this malicious program.
These symptoms include high usage of your CPU, sometimes it can reach even to 100%! Furthermore, you might start experiencing software crashes, discovering entries, or apps you did not install. If the backdoor appears to be guilty of this, remove Skeeyah virus immediately.
This computer software might be helpful for detecting damaged programs and other components. Performing Skeeyah removal is crucial because various other applications may run beside the initial trojan and cause even more damage than this trojan.
Make sure you proceed with the process at the same minute you recognize the cyber threat, so there is not much time for the malware to run on the computer. Moreover, take a look at the precautionary measures that we have provided below. They might help you avoid similar infections in the future.
Remember that Skeeyah is a backdoor trojan and criminals developed this virus as a malware-dropper. The main purpose is to infect the targeted system further, so any applications installed on your PC need to get terminated to end all the symptoms you experience.
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
Malicious sites, deceptive content and other malware leads to trojan infection
Cybersecurity experts from NoVirus.uk recommend being very careful while performing an online activity.
A Trojan horse can hide in many rogue websites and secretly install only with one click. If you overcome suspicious web pages, they should be eliminated immediately in order to avoid possible virus infiltration. Moreover, always check what you are downloading from the Internet. Do not skip any installation steps and make sure you install only original software.
It is commonly known that various malware infections, including Trojan horses, are widely spread through phishing email messages and their hazardous attachments. Crooks often attach the dangerous payload to the dubious letter and send it to numerous random users. Be careful while opening questionable messages - some of them might be sent for bad purposes.
Another piece of advice would be to run a reliable antivirus tool on your computer daily. Do not be afraid to invest in such type of software because a reputable program will bring these benefits:
- Regular system scans will show all computer-related problems;
- The antivirus will keep the PC safe while you are performing computing work;
- It will help you get rid of various issues that might occur over time.
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Skeeyah
- Your machine might be affected by this threat to a stage that particular programs or features cannot run.
How to check the PC for Skeeyah
Microsoft's name for Skeeyah is Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock.
Defender sorts threats by category first, so the word before the colon tells you what kind of program was found, even if the family name means nothing to you.
Do not search for a removal tool by the detection name alone; fake "removal tools" use the same keywords. How the naming works is explained in our guide to antivirus detection names.
How to remove Skeeyah
How to remove Skeeyah and lock the attacker out
Someone may have had remote control of the PC.
Cut the connection first, then remove the trojan and secure your accounts.
Step 1: Remove remote access tools and lock the attacker out
Unplug the network cable or turn off Wi-Fi first, so any remote session drops.
In Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10), uninstall remote access programs you did not set up yourself, such as AnyDesk, ScreenConnect, TeamViewer or an unknown "support" tool.
Check Settings > Accounts > Other users (Family & other users in Windows 10) for accounts you did not create. Turn off Remote Desktop under Settings > System unless you use it.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows 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 Skeeyah 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 Skeeyah 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: 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 5: 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
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.
From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since
Prepare to clear the system fully to remove the Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock
Performing the virus removal requires a lot of attention and effort because this is a virus that you cannot see working.
This is the main reason why we suggest users to use reputable anti-malware software to complete the process.
Furthermore, tools such as , , might also help as they can detect malware-related content and fix virus damage. Make sure you take care of the cyber threat properly even if the elimination might take a while. Skeeyah virus may be more persistent than you think.
After you remove Skeeyah, make sure to refresh the entire computer system and check if all trojan-related components are gone. When the computer is fully cleaned, you can use it normally again. However, you should not forget all the avoiding tips you have read as they might be very careful and let you prevent backdoor trojans from entering your computer system again.
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Your passwords after Skeeyah
Removing Skeeyah does not undo what it may already have sent out while the PC showed the Windows Security detection Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock.
Treat saved browser passwords and logged-in sessions on this PC as known to the attacker.
From another device, change the e-mail password first and end all its sessions. Then do the same for the bank, PayPal, Microsoft, Google and Apple accounts. Stolen session cookies keep working after a password change until you sign out everywhere.
Move crypto to a new wallet created on a clean device. A step-by-step order for every kind of account is in our guide to account security after an infection.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
Questions about Skeeyah
Is Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock a false positive?
Sometimes. Names ending in !ml or describing behaviour are generated by machine learning and occasionally flag cracked tools, game mods or small unsigned utilities. A false positive is likely only when the file is a program you installed from its official developer, it is signed by that developer and other scanners do not flag it.
Files from cracks, cheats, fake updates or unknown downloads are rarely false positives, whatever the detection name. If you are sure the file is genuine, you can report it to Microsoft as a false positive; never add an exclusion for Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock just to make the alert stop.
Should I change my passwords after Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock?
It depends on the category and on whether the file ran. If the name begins with PWS, Spy, Backdoor or Trojan and the file sat in AppData, ProgramData or Temp, assume it ran and change your important passwords from a different device, starting with e-mail, then banking.
Sign out of all sessions too. If Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock is a PUA or was caught in Downloads before you opened anything, a password change is a precaution rather than a must. When in doubt, change the e-mail password and turn on two-step verification; it is quick and protects everything else.
Will Windows Security detect Skeeyah?
Yes, current Microsoft Defender definitions name it Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock. Make sure the definitions are up to date first: open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection updates and click Check for updates. Then run a full scan and the Microsoft Defender offline scan.
If the detection comes back after you remove it, look for the program, task or extension that brings it back, using the plan above. Detection removes files and startup entries, but it does not reverse changes Skeeyah already made, so follow the other steps in this guide as well.
Can Skeeyah 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.
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 Skeeyah 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 Skeeyah, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Should I reset my PC because of Skeeyah?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see the Windows Security detection Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
How dangerous is Skeeyah?
Treat it as serious until proven otherwise. The visible sign is the Windows Security detection Trojan:Win32/Skeeyah.A!plock, 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 didn't my antivirus stop Skeeyah?
New trojan builds are packed and changed often so that signatures do not match, and some are signed with stolen or bought certificates. Many arrive inside password-protected archives, which scanners cannot open until you extract them.
Some downloads also tell the user to turn off the antivirus "because it gives false alarms", a common line in cracked software instructions. Keep real-time protection on, never disable it for an installer, and run the offline scan whenever you suspect something slipped through.
Will Fortect remove Skeeyah?
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 Skeeyah, 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
- Microsoft community forum: Trojan:win32/Skeeyah.A!rfn (read October 6, 2026)
- Krebsonsecurity: Sextortion Scam Uses Recipient's Hacked Passwords (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Email spam (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)