Altrisk is a Trojan Horse malware with a primary function to use up your system resources (CPU, Memory) for the mining of cryptocurrency. It does this without your knowledge or permission and will often lead to significant system slowdowns that make your PC nearly unusable.
But aside from the cryptomining functions of the virus, Altrisk could potentially be used for other rogue tasks. The malware could spam you with harmful ads and pop-ups or collect personal data from your PC among other things.
Altrisk is only one of many nearly identical Trojan threats that we’ve dealt with in the past. Other common examples are Altisik and Altruistics, and since they all work in a very similar way, we can provide an effective way to remove Altrisk. You’ll find specific instructions on what to do in the next sections.
Altrisk Removal Guide
It’s important to understand that threats like Altrisk install multiple components in the system that let them gain persistence and avoid removal. You must hunt down everything linked to the malware if you want to successfully get rid of it. For this reason, you should perform every single step shown below, or else the threat might not be fully erased.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Altrisk |
| Type | Trojan |
| Danger Level | High (Trojans are often used as a backdoor for Ransomware) |
| Detection Tool |
READ BEFORE PROCEEDING!
The next steps will take about an hour to complete and some of them require some personal judgment and troubleshooting experience. If the guide seems too lengthy or complex to some of you, a quicker, safer, and easier method to get rid of Altrisk is to use SpyHunter 5.
SpyHunter 5 is an advanced malware tool that will let you solve the Altrisk issue in only a couple of clicks. If you are interested, you can find it linked on this page.
How to Remove the Altrisk Virus
If you’ve chosen the hands-on method of getting rid of this malware, these are the steps you must complete.
The successful manual removal of Altrisk requires you to first fulfill two preliminary requirements:
- Have the free LockHunter tool installed on your PC – Lock Hunter is a necessary tool. It unlocks files and folders that resist deletion. Downloading third-party software can feel inconvenient, but this tool is nonnegotiable. Delays and errors occur without it, so get it installed now.
- Any hidden files and folders must be visible – Malware often hides. Finding it requires exposing hidden files. Adjust system settings to reveal them. Access “Folder Options” through the Start Menu. Select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” in the View tab. Confirm changes by clicking OK.
Hidden malware components become visible. Viewing them enables identification. Proper file visibility supports the next steps.
Video walkthrough for this step:
How to Uninstall the Altrisk Service Application
There might be an actual app named Altrisk or something similar installed on your system. Checking for such an app and uninstalling it is the first step towards cleaning your PC. It won’t solve everything but it’s a necessary first step.
Open “Apps & Features” through the Start Menu. Sorting by installation date helps locate recent additions.
Review these entries for suspicious software. Altrisk or anything else that looks questionable must be uninstalled.
Write down the names of removed programs. This information becomes useful later.
Malware often resists detection. Altrisk itself may appear in the list. Removing it is essential but insufficient. Deeper threats require further action.
Video walkthrough for this step:
How to Get Rid of the Altrisk Malware in the Task Manager
Next up is the Task Manager. You need to find the rogue Altrisk process or processes in it and get rid of them. Also, you must go to their location folders and delete anything stored there. This is one of the most important steps in this guide, so take your time.
Open the Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Expand the view by selecting “More Details.” Sorting by CPU or memory usage highlights suspicious behavior. Unknown processes consuming high resources deserve attention. Investigating their file locations confirms their nature.
Delete files and folders linked to malicious processes. Persistent items block deletion. Lock Hunter resolves such issues. You just need to right-click the file/folder > What’s Locking it? > Delete.
After deletion, end the task from Task Manager. Repeating this for every suspect process ensures thorough removal.
Video walkthrough for this step:
How to Delete Persistent Files with Lock Hunter
How to Delete Altrisk Virus Files
You may have deleted the file location folders of Altrisk and other rogue processes, but there are still probably malware files scattered in other parts of your system. You must hunt them down too to ensure full removal of the Trojan miner.
Access C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Delete questionable entries. Leave the desktop.ini file untouched (if you see it there).
Check C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup next. Malware often embeds itself here. Delete any suspicious files/folders.
Explore C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86). Look for folders named after the malware or related to any program you attempted to uninstall in the Apps & Features step.
Open the Temp folder using %TEMP% in the Start Menu.
Just delete everything here, it’s both safe and recommended to do so.
Remove Altrisk Malware Tasks
The Task Scheduler is often forgotten by users who are trying to clean their system from malware. However, scheduled tasks here can allow Altrisk to return to your PC even after you delete it, so it’s essential to check this part of your system too.
Access it through the Start Menu (type Task Scheduler in the search bar).
Review the “Task Scheduler Library” thoroughly.
Click each task, check the Actions tab, and see what action the task is set to perform.
Suspicious tasks usually point to files in AppData, Roaming, or unknown .exe and script files.
Suspicious Tasks malware must be deleted. Missed tasks can lead to reinfection. Clearing these ensures the malware cannot reactivate.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Get Rid of Altrisk Through the System Registry
The Registry cleanup is the final step of this guide and you must be very careful while completing it. Only delete items that are clearly linked to the malware. If you are uncertain about a particular registry key, best to leave it intact in case it’s from your system and not from the malware.
- Open the Registry Editor with administrative rights.
- Use the “Find” function to locate entries related to Altrisk. Delete all related keys. Search again after each deletion to ensure everything is taken care of.
- Uninstalled programs often leave registry traces. Search for the programs you uninstalled in the Apps & Features step to delete anything that might be left from them.
- Finally, visit the following Registry directories in the left panel, click each one, and see if there are any suspicious values in the right.
- If you see any values linked to Altrisk or other malware, delete them
In this last 5th step, remember to only delete rogue values without removing the keys to the left that contain them.
Video walkthrough for this step:
Reinforcing System Security Post-Removal
Completing removal secures the system. Updating antivirus software detects any missed threats. Performing a full system scan verifies success. Software updates patch vulnerabilities. Avoid downloading from unverified sources. Exercise caution with email links and attachments. Vigilance prevents future infections. Regular maintenance protects the system.
Troubleshooting and Common Pitfalls
Challenges arise during removal. Files that resist deletion present a frequent problem. Restarting the computer in Safe Mode resolves this issue. Safe Mode limits processes, simplifying file management. Reviewing earlier steps identifies missed details. Professional help becomes necessary in extreme cases. Automated tools offer efficient alternatives. Their accuracy reduces errors. Resolving issues quickly prevents further harm.
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