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What's the best way to check for malware?

Steve Asche 20 Reputation points
2026-03-07T00:13:52.2133333+00:00

I had an incident where it looked like someone was accessing my system. The cursor was moving and when i tried to launch task manager it kept changing my selections. The cursor was moving without my action and it was as if someone was choosing the cancel options. What's a recommended malwar check? I'm suspicious because someone I know sent me an ecard and I suspect it was some malware.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Security and privacy
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  1. Quinn.HP 8,595 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-07T01:00:11.9433333+00:00

    Hello, I'm Quinn, and I'm here to help!

    When the cursor was moving, did it move smoothly like a person controlling it, or was it jumping randomly around the screen? Since you're suspecting malware, and if someone might actually be remotely controlling or accessing your device, here are some steps you can follow:

    1. Download a third-party antivirus such as Malwarebytes. This will be used later as a second opinion scanner.
    2. Once downloaded, turn off your Wi-Fi or disconnect your Ethernet cable so your device cannot access the internet.
    3. Open Windows Security and click Virus & threat protection.
    4. Under Current threats, click Allowed threats and check if there are any suspicious items listed.
    5. Go back and click Scan options, then run Microsoft Defender Antivirus (Offline scan). This will restart your device and scan it before Windows fully loads.
    6. If the scan detects something, follow the prompts to remove or quarantine the threat.
    7. After that, go back to Scan options and run a Quick Scan and Full Scan. This may take a while depending on the size of your drive.
    8. Once the scan finishes, check the results to see if anything was detected.
    9. Open Malwarebytes and run both a Quick Scan and a Full Scan for a second opinion.
    10. After the scans, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check the Processes tab for any unfamiliar or suspicious processes.

    Observe if the unexpected mouse movement still happens after completing all the scans.

    3 people found this answer helpful.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-07T00:14:03.2866667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Based on the symptoms (remote cursor movement and attempts to cancel Task Manager), a full malware check is strongly recommended.

    Do the following on Windows 11:

    1. Run a full Microsoft Defender Antivirus scan
      1. Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
      2. Under Current threats, select Scan options.
      3. Choose Full scan and select Scan now.
      4. Let it complete and follow any removal/quarantine prompts.
    2. Turn on cloud-based protection and automatic sample submission
      1. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, select Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
      2. Ensure Cloud-delivered protection and Automatic sample submission are both On. These significantly improve detection of new or rare malware.
    3. Update Defender definitions before scanning again
      1. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, under Virus & threat protection updates, select Check for updates.
      2. Under Threat definitions, select Check for updates.
      3. After updating, you can run another Full scan if anything suspicious was found earlier.
    4. Run Microsoft Defender Offline for a deep, offline scan This helps catch malware that hides while Windows is running.
      1. Save open work.
      2. Go to Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options.
      3. Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan (or Windows Defender Offline scan) and choose Scan now.
      4. The PC will restart and run an offline scan; follow any prompts to remove threats.
    5. If problems persist or malware keeps coming back
      1. Avoid revisiting suspicious sites or reopening the same e‑card/link.
      2. Use a modern browser such as Microsoft Edge with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen enabled to block malicious sites.
      3. If the same threat is repeatedly detected, repeat the Microsoft Defender Offline scan as described above.
    6. General precautions for future incidents
      • Do not open unexpected attachments or links in e‑cards or emails, even if they appear to come from someone known.
      • If the cursor moves on its own again, disconnect from the network (unplug Ethernet/turn off Wi‑Fi) immediately, then run the scans above.

    If Defender continues not to detect anything but suspicious behavior remains, submit any suspicious files to Microsoft for analysis using the Defender submission process referenced in the documentation.

    References:

    1 person found this answer helpful.

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