Multiple windows opening

[ayjay]

I've had one or two strange problems with my PC over the last couple of days, it started when I lost access to most of the internet on Tuesday afternoon. When I say most of the internet, there were one or two sites that I could connect to without any problems but everything else just hung either half loaded or not loaded at all, I still don't know what the problem was but my AV (Avast free version) was giving me mixed messages about updates and also about the *Secure Line VPN* which I thought was part of the paid for service.

Everything seems to be working OK now (in respect of the internet) after much faffing around and several re-starts, but Pale Moon has started to open multiple versions of itself.

I first noticed this yesterday when I minimised the browser down to the task bar at the bottom of the screen and the numeral 11 appeared next to it.There were ten blank widows of Pale Moon open which I shut down, once I found them as they were almost off the screen bottom right. A little later on the same thing occurred again with 7 this time and again today with 13 windows open.

What's happening - any ideas?

[Moonchild]

SecureLine is part of Avast's services, correct.

The blank windows do sounds like malware, though, so maybe your connection to the internet being interrupted is related to it. Windows opening like that are likely to attempt to load ads or popups/popunders, but their content still being blocked may result in blank windows.

I'd suggest you get a "second opinion" from e.g. TrendMicro's housecall or similar to check your system.
Maybe @satrow can provide additional assistance.

[rabnbeinn]

Would definitely be giving Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (free version) or similar a whirl to see if it picks up anything as a must first.

[ayjay]

Thanks Moonchild: I thought that Secureline was part of the "paid for" service and not the free version.

I've run Malwarebytes twice in the last couple of days and nothing has been found (it's never actually found anything in all the years I've had it).

My son has built me a new PC which I'm collecting in the next few days, I'll get him to check this one over as he'll be installing the hard drive from this one in the new machine, (mainly to keep all the garbage I have - not to use).

Just 31 newly spawned copies today, they appeared this afternoon after I'd been elsewhere for a while.