Do you know what Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner is?
Our cyber security experts have recently tested a program called Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner and classified it as a Trojan. This application was designed to get onto your PC secretly and then secretly mine digital currency using your GPU card. As a result, this application will drain your computer’s resources and also hike your electricity bills if it does that long enough. Apparently, this program was designed to launch on each system startup. If you remove it from Control Panel, it will leave leftover files that you ought to delete manually. For more information, please continue reading.
Cyber security experts say Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner is owned by a company called Microleaves LTD. This same company also owns Traffic Exchange that researchers have classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP.) Therefore, it seems that this company is predisposed to release questionable, unreliable applications.
Researchers say that Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner is disseminated using bundled software installers. These installers can be malicious because many of them are said to have been configured to install this Trojan onto your computer without your knowledge or consent. You may encounter such malicious installers if you visit freeware websites that are notorious for bundling free applications with additional software that is often malicious in nature. Needless to say, the owners of those websites stand to make a lot of money if they bundle software together. Unfortunately, some installers can install additional software by stealth, and that seems to be the case with Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner in particular.
If your computer becomes infected with Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner, then it will harness the power of your PC’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and use it to mine digital currencies. When you run this program for the first time, it will check the compatibility with your graphics card. If the GPU is compatible, then this program will connect to a remote digital currency pool and mine specific coins. Hence, cyber crooks use your computer to do all of the work so that they could make money.
Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
We want to warn you that this Trojan can potentially cause damage to your computer. If it runs long enough on your PC, it can overheat the GPU if it has insufficient cooling because this Trojan will utilize nearly 100 % of its possible resources. On top of that, this program can be the cause of higher electricity bills because older GPUs were more power hungry than the newer models. Still, some top of the line GPUs of today are power hungry as well, so it depends on the particular GPU you have.
This Trojan drops its files in either %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Novo or %PROGRAMFILES%\Novo depending on whether you have a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system. It also creates a scheduled task at %PROGRAMFILES%\Novo and registry keys at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\Novo and HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Novo. Uninstalling this program from Control Panel will not remove all of the files, so you have to delete them manually.
In conclusion, Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner is a malicious application set to be installed on your PC by stealth and then secretly use your GPU to mine digital currency that will make this program’s developers a substantial profit. If you want to get rid of this Trojan, then please follow the removal guide located below.
Removal Guide
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys.
- Click Processes.
- Locate novoone.exe, novoopt.exe, novoping.exe, npsvc.exe, or windriver.exe
- Right-click it and click End process.
- Close the Task Manager.
- Press Windows+E keys.
- Type %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% or %PROGRAMFILES% in the address box.
- Hit Enter.
- Locate the Novo folder.
- Right-click it and click Delete.
- Then, type %WINDIR%\System32\Tasks and hit Enter.
- Locate Novo and delete it.
- Then type %WINDIR%\Tasks\Novo and hit Enter.
- Find .job and delete it.
- Close the File Explorer.
- Press Windows+R keys.
- Type regedit in the box and hit Enter.
- Go to the following registry keys.
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
- Find Novo, right-click it and click Delete.
- Empty the Recycle Bin.
In non-techie terms:
Novo Optimizer Gpu Miner is a malicious application that can infect your computer secretly and you its GPU to mine for digital currency. As a result, your PC can become slower and the GPU can overheat and fry. Therefore, we recommend that you remove this program using the guide above because it does nothing other than make your PC slower and make its creators money in the process.