Some web users are plagued by persistent pop-up alerts from fake Microsoft virus warnings and alerts. These pop-ups might range from straightforward software promotions to highly dishonest phone support scams. Malware’s ability to change internet browser settings so that bogus warnings appear as the default page or tab is one thing that severely impairs online browser performance. Additionally, the spyware freezes the active window to prevent people from leaving the page. Technically speaking, this is not a virus infection; rather, the script on the bogus virus alert website exceeds the settings of the current browser.
Various fake warnings and alerts
Here are some excerpts from the fake pop-up alerts pretending to be from Microsoft Windows:
Windows Defender Security Center
App: Ads.fiancetrack(2).dll
Threat Detected: Trojan Spyware
Access to this PC has been blocked for security reasons.
Your computer has alerted us that it has been infected with Trojan Spyware. The following data has been compromised.
Please Contact Windows Support.
Pirated Windows Software Detected on this Computer.
Windows Key Code is not valid and seems Pirated.
Threat Detected: Banking Trojan
All files and online accounts may be banned permanently.
Windows Firewall Protection
Trojan Spyware Alert – Error Code: #0x268d3.
Access to this PC has been blocked for security reasons,
Contact Windows Support.
Windows Defender Security Warning
Violation of the USA Govt Act “1978 Act of Protection for Children” and “Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.” Your IP address has been trying to access Child Pornography on the dark web.
Dealing with the scam Microsoft virus warning pop-up
Even though this bogus alert from a number of malicious websites is not the result of a virus infection, it may nevertheless result in scams if internet users are persuaded to contact the attackers via toll-free or paid online help services. Additionally, some victims assert that false virus warnings are tricking them into downloading malicious software.
We have listed some straightforward steps below to assist you with this type of issue. The instructions will assist you in permanently removing the fake virus alert from the browser.
Scam Microsoft Alert Pop-up Removal Procedure
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Quick Fix – Scan the PC with Combo Cleaner for Windows
Combo Cleaner is a trusted PC security and optimization tool equipped with powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of browser hijacker and fake alerts through this procedure.
1. Download the application from the following page:
2. Save the file to your preferred location.
3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.
4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.
5. The tool will update the signature file, please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like scam virus alerts, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.
7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete fake alerts and hijackers, including all malicious objects, from the computer.
Free features of Combo Cleaner for Windows includes Disk Cleaner, Big Files finder, Duplicate files finder, and Uninstaller. To use antivirus, privacy scanner, and to delete identified threats, users have to upgrade to a premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if your are comfortable manually getting rid of the threat and malicious items linked with it.
Optional : Reset Internet Browser Program
Cleaning your internet browser from clutter and unwanted add-on/extension is a must when dealing with fake Microsoft warnings. The procedure below discusses resetting various browsers to their default states.
Restore Google Chrome to Default Settings
Resetting Google Chrome to default settings is helpful in deleting hard-to-remove malware from the browser. This method is highly advisable if you have difficulty in removing unwanted extensions and malicious scripts.
1. Open Google Chrome Internet browser.
2. On the address bar, type chrome://settings/reset and press Enter key.
3. Under Reset and clean up section, choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Click Reset settings button to clear all entries of malware.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed malicious extensions, and associated objects.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
This section describes how to remove unwanted extension from Firefox that may be related to fake virus alert from Microsoft. This process can fix many browser issues by restoring Firefox to factory settings without affecting your essential information (bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies) on the browser. If you desire to remove only specific extension, please see manual removal of add-on from Firefox.
1. Input the string about:support on Firefox web address and press Enter on keyboard.
2. You will now see the Troubleshooting Information page of Mozilla Firefox.
3. You will notice a section in the upper-right corner of the screen stating, Give Firefox a tune up. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
4. If confirmation window appears, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
5. Firefox browser will close and start the resetting process. When done, it will display a list of restored data. Scam Microsoft pop-up alerts should be gone by now. Click Finish to open a fresh version of Firefox.
Lastly : Scan and Delete Malware
Anti-malware tool proved to be helpful in finding and deleting browser threats, such as the Fake Warning from Edge. This tool scans and removes threats using the most comprehensive detection method.
1. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the link below. Save the file on your hard drive.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Download Link (this will open a new window)
2. Once the download completes, double-click on the file MBSetup.exe to run the program.
3. Select the desired option, whether you are installing on Personal Computer or Work Computer.
4. In the next window, click on the Install button to load the basic requirements to run Malwarebytes Anti-malware.
5. If it prompts for License Agreement, you must accept this and click the Next button.
6. Proceed with the succeeding prompts until you reach the window that says Installing…
7. Installation process will take less than a minute. The program should run automatically after the setup process.
8. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware interface appears, please select Scan from menu to begin the process. The program will check for any available update before proceeding. Do not skip this step. virus scan may take a while, please wait for the process to finish.
9. When scanning is done, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will display the list of identified threats. Remove all identified threats and restart the computer to finalize the scan process.
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