Screen locked and asked to contact a Microsoft number to walk through solving the problem. Ran defender and malware Bytes, to no avail.

Question

Screen locked and asked to contact a Microsoft number to walk through solving the problem. Ran defender and malware Bytes, to no avail.

Anonymous

On yahoo.com, I clicked on a story on a website and when I clicked on continue, a new screen came up saying I had some bad software added and they wanted me to call a Microsoft number to have technicians walk me through the resolution. No how many times I pressed deny. the screen kept coming back. I shut down and restarted, and when I went to yahoo.com the screen kept coming up.

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Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

These types of pop-ups try to scare you into calling a fake "Microsoft" number, but Microsoft never asks users to call for support this way.

Since the message keeps coming back, it's likely stored in your browser’s cache or a bad extension was added. Here’s what I recommend to clear it out:

Close your browser completely (use Task Manager if needed: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find your browser, right-click, and select End task).

Clear your browser cache and cookies in Microsoft Edge:

> Open Microsoft Edge and press Alt + F keys to bring menu, then click on "Settings".

> Click "Privacy, search, and services"

> Under "Clear browsing data" > in "Clear browsing data now" > click "Choose what to clear"

> Check Browsing History, Cookies and other site data, and Cache image and files.

> Click "Clear now".

> After that, click "Cookies and site permissions" from the left sidebar.

> Click on "Manage and delete cookies and site data".

> Make sure that the option to "Allow sites to save and read cookie data" is turned on.

Check for unwanted extensions and Reset your browser settings in Microsoft Edge:

> Open Edge again, press Alt + F keys, and go to "Extensions." Remove all extensions, then test again to see if it's working.

> If the issue still persists, go to Edge settings again by pressing Alt + F keys > Settings > and click on "Privacy, search, and services." > Under "Clear browsing data," click on "Choose what to clear" and select all options except saved passwords. > Click on "Clear now." > Test the browser once more to see if the problem is resolved.

Scan your PC again: Since you've already run Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes, you might also try Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) by searching for it in Windows Security: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/detail... Download and run.

Once you've done that, restart your PC and see if the pop-up is gone.

Click "Reply" below to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.