Final answer:
Joann should conduct a full antivirus scan to check for malware, remove any infections found, and seek further help if issues persist. It is also recommended to update her operating system and software.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the symptoms described, Joann's Windows 10 computer is exhibiting behavior that could be indicative of malicious software (malware) infection, especially since she received an access denied message when attempting to identify the process using a significant amount of CPU and network resources. Here are the steps that Joann should follow to address the issue:
- Conduct a full antivirus scan using her installed antivirus software or Windows Defender, which is built into Windows 10.
- If malware is found, follow the prompts to remove the infection.
- If her antivirus software did not find any threats, she should consider using an additional on-demand malware scanner for a second opinion.
- If the computer still runs slowly after removing any infections, Joann should consider seeking professional help as the malware may have caused more deeply rooted problems.
- It's also a good practice to update her operating system and all software to the latest versions to patch any security vulnerabilities.
She must address these issues immediately to prevent potential data loss or further damage to her computer.