Yep....same place in 10.

Ctrl/Shift/Esc ....task manager....look at processes and kill any instances of it running....see what happens.

Possibly.

Next step is to try an online scanner - they are 'safe' from whatever infection you may already have - your local AV may be compromised...hence the 'infection' [maybe]

Also.... google 'runaway notepad process" ...I'm betting you are not alone.

If it behaves as an infection, then presume it's an infection. Windows doesn't do tricks like that by itself since Win98. Dunno about Win10 tho.

Malware has got very sophisticated nowadays, it's not like in the good old times, where you could simply end task the suspicious process.

Thanks to global economic crisis, which causes lack of food, which again causes regular fasting, and which finally causes increase of IQ level (lol), viruses nowadays know 100s of new ways to nest in your device.

About getting rid of infection I suggest 3 things:

1. Get and run Malwarebytes:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/

2. Get and run ComboFix (not designed for above Win8):

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/combofix/

Both are free and super effective.

3. If they fail, then you need to Secure Erase your SSD and reinstall Windows.

Don't forget to backup your important stuff first.

After you've rid of it, learn to properly firewall your OS; learn what is important and what is trash.

Do an offline scan with windows defender.   Switch into airplane mode and see if the problem stops.  You have some type of malware likely a js script that is causing the problem.

Open windows defender.  Choose Virus and threat protection and then Run a new advanced scan and choose the offline scan.   If it does not auto-start post here and I'll walk you through force starting it.

Well that did it!  Running Malwarebytes did the trick and quarantined several instances of Google crap identified as malware.... updaters and the like.... stuff that Win Defender and IOBit failed to find.  Thing is, I don't have any Google software on this machine, so where the fech did this crap come from?   Bastards!!!!!

Anyway, it wasn't such a painful experience to get rid of after all.  I was expecting having to use brute force methods to sort this issue out, but Malwarebytes quite easily removed the cause.... fechin' Google crap.

As for future protection against such threats, I have restored my Firewall to default settings and will purchase Malwarebytes Premium tomorrow.  I do have a 14 day trial but may just as well purchase the full thing while I have the cash on hand.

Anyhow, thanks to all who offered assistance, I appreciate it muchly.      

Good to hear it's sorted...

I never even use Notepad....I've always used Texturizer...and made it the default txt association...

Quoting Jafo,

reply 12

Good to hear it's sorted...

I never even use Notepad....I've always used Texturizer...and made it the default txt association...

Thanks, mate, it was starting to worry me.

I never use Notepad, either, but it comes with the OS and, as I now know, it can be exploited by nefarious software.  I generally use Wordpad for text creation, but after this unpleasant experience I now may look into an alternative that's non-Windows based, maybe even Texturizer.

Google Chrome installed itself yonks ago with CCleaner as I recall, and I dumped it as soon as I realised it was an unwanted part of the download.  Anyhow, whatever caused the crap to be there it's now gone and Google can go fech itself.

Weird. I posted another alternative for the cap'n. Notepad++ It was right after reply #14, the Cap'n's post. Don't know what happened to it. 

Thanks, Uvah... and Dave.  I'll have a look at Notepad + +, as well as the one Jafo mentioned.  However, it's not urgent.  The notepad that comes with Windows has behaved itself since I got rid of that Google crap, and that'll give me time to investigate the alternatives. 

I was still getting high CPU usage, though, and tracked it down to Windows Defender, which I've disabled as I now have Malwarebytes installed to replace it.  Another one in Task Manager showing high CPU usage is Firefox.  I shall have to investigate that now.

Oh woe is me... the PC problems never end.