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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2019

How to remove Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked – a scam that creates a legitimate look by misusing the name of Microsoft

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked fake warning

“Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked” is a scam that pretends to be from Microsoft helpline. This type of message typically occurs when infected with a technical support scam virus[1] under which another potentially unwanted program such as adware might be hiding. The so-called TTS scammers seek to trick users into calling the fake Microsoft support number. Some hackers truly do succeed with these tricks by pushing fake alerts about the blocked computer system and private information that is at big risk of exposure. Additionally, this scam belongs to the “Your Computer Has Been Blocked” virus category.

Program name “Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked”
Type of content Scamware
Category “Your Computer Has Been Blocked” virus
Targeted OS Windows
Caused by Adware or other potentially unwanted programs
Tricks used Hackers scare people that their computers are infected and need fixing which can be done by dialing the fake Microsoft support number
Why not call? If you call the developers, you might be asked to provide remote access to your system, reveal sensitive details, or pay for useless security products
Appearance You can encounter this type of threat while visiting third-party pages or using questionable services on the Internet
Elimination Get rid of the scam and all additional content that might have been brought by it. Using FortectIntego should help you to deal with this process 

You may come across “Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked” accidentally while browsing the web, and in such instances, it is typically enough to quit such web page. However, if these pop-ups [2] show up on your screen more than often, and if it seems that you have no control over them, it means that your computer has been infected with Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked malware.

Usually, an adware application[3] is hidden under programs such as “Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked” virus and operate behind the back of such technical support scams. Talking about the technical support scam, it might keep sending misleading messages, makes programs lag, blocks certain websites and uses other techniques to convince the user that the computer is severely impacted by some kind of parasite.

However, considering that Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked ads are fake and auto-generated, there is no way how this scam app can determine whether your computer is infected or not. It seeks to intimidate the PC user by displaying such and similar lines:

YOUR WINDOWS COMPUTER HAS BEEN BLOCKED *
Windows System Alert!!
System may have been infected due to unexpected error! Please Contact Windows Support at 1(888)509-7321 Immediately! to unblock your computer. Suspicious Activity Detected. Your Browser might have been hijacked or hacked.
ANONYMOUS ACTIVITY
Private and Financial Data is at RISK:
Your credit card details and banking information
Your e-mail passwords and other account passwords
Your Facebook, Skype, AIM, ICQ and other chat logs
Your private & family photos and other sensitive files
Your webcam could be accessed remotely by stalkers
IMMEDIATELY CALL WINDOWS SUPPORT AT 1(888)509-7321

However, if you see such messages opening in new browser windows or tabs, and if the sites that provide such “information” about your computer status send you additional pop-up alerts that are hard to close, you should not panic and not rush to call a number provided. You need to scan the entire system with a tool such as FortectIntego and remove Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked together with its cause.

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked scam app

If you tried calling these people who have provided you with Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked scam, they would try to convince you to buy a useless piece of software, provide them with personal information, or even ask you to give them remote access to your computer so that they could “fix” your PC. Usually, instead of providing help, they just drop malware on the computer.

So if you see these pop-ups on your computer screen, do not wait and proceed with Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked removal process. You can easily do that by using reputable anti-malware software or following our step-by-step guide that is added to the end of the article. Also, be aware that the adware which was causing the appearance of this message might have left dubious components in your web browser too.

This is why removing Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked from your computer system might not be enough. Adware programs can alter settings in web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge and add dubious “helper objects” to them. If you do not get rid of them, the adware application might run itself within the next boot and start showing the scam repeatedly.

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked scam

Scareware spreads around via malvertising and malicious spam campaigns

Scareware [4] can be unintentionally downloaded from untrustworthy Internet sites along with other free programs. Such deceptive method is known by the term “bundling”. According to Virusai.lt,[5] the best way to avoid such activity is to choose the Advanced or Custom configuration that allows the user to control all incoming programs and choose which are worth downloading to the system and which are not. All Recommended/Quick modes should be avoided.

Potentially infectious apps sometimes might also spread via malvertising [6] campaigns and through infectious hyperlinks that are placed in P2P sites. The best option to secure your PC from such misleading programs is to protect it by placing an anti-malware software on it. Of course, you can try to avoid misleading ads and install programs with cautions, but remember that one day, malware might still trick you into installing it.

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked message

Learn how to remove Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked pop-ups

Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked virus must be eliminated without regret since it is a useless program. It seeks to frighten the user and cause a perception of fear to convince the victim to buy a fake anti-virus program or even allow some fake computer technicians to connect to his/her computer remotely.

Do not be fooled; identify this threat with a real anti-malware software and remove it right away. Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked removal can be completed with reputable anti-malware software. Bear in mind that the manual elimination technique requires more of the user's effort and takes more time.

However, you still can remove “Your Windows (Microsoft) Computer has been blocked” from your Windows computer system manually. Below you will find instructions on how to clean the entire system, and also refresh browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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