“Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” is a Tech-Support-Scam alert promoting fake software updates

“Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” hoax is a technical-support-scam[1] alert, which contains false claims about Trojan infection and possible hard drive failure. It mimics the features of a legitimate Microsoft notification and prompt the PC's user to call one of the two Customer Support numbers. However, that's yet another social engineering strategy used to spread malware and initiate other shady activities, so do not fall for calling the crooks. People can be redirected to the fake “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” site by adware program or JavaScript infected malicious domains.
| Name | Warning – Your Computer Is Infected |
| Malware type | Tech-Support-Scam |
| Causes | Adware infection, malicious websites |
| Distribution | Freeware (bundling) |
| Danger level | Low (it cannot affect the system directly) |
| Symptoms | Web browser's redirects to “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” new tab, excessive amount of pop-ups and other ads |
| Removal methods | Related adware can be eliminated with FortectIntego. Manual removal instructions provided at the end of the article |
The Your Computer Is Infected scam is displayed in a form of a full page new tab window. It simulates Microsoft Windows BSOD in the background, a bar-code, and two Windows Service Center contact numbers: +1-877-304-0310 and +1-866-820-7252. To intimidate people and trick them into calling them, crooks render bogus claims about unknown Trojan infection in the hard drive, which can lead to leakage of personal information and complete data loss.
However, dialing this phone number is not a good idea for several reasons:
- the phone call might be charged more than a regular call;
- crooks might want to sell you bogus security software;
- scammers might want you to install remote access tools;[2]
- criminals might trick personal information about you.
“Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” virus uses Microsoft’s name and credentials to make this scam look like real notification. When users are redirected to the malicious website, it locks the screen and delivers two pop-up windows. The first notification briefly informs about computer infection, provides support phone number and asks whether you want to leave this page or not.

The second warning message gives more information about the problem. Here crooks name numerous problems that might occur due to this “infection”:
- blocked firewall,
- account suspension,
- leakage of the personal information.
- infiltration of the Trojan.
- the possibility of losing a credit card or banking information.
Authors of the “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” scam claims that trying to find and delete this “virus” manually may lead to data loss and other problems. They want to make users believe that only “certified technicians” can solve this problem.
However, you should not Google where the nearest Windows Service Centre is or call the provided number. This cyber infection provides false information to involve users into cyber crime. Scanning the system with anti-malware/anti-spyware is recommended to make sure that your computer is not infected with adware that is responsible for spreading the scam. The program, such as FortectIntego, will help to remove “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” easily and protect your device from similar cyber threats in the future.
You can also delete adware manually. However, this task might be slightly complicated because the virus may have installed numerous components in various locations. If you still want to choose this method, you can find manual “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” removal instructions below the article.

Scammers use freeware to reach potential victims
As we have mentioned at the beginning, users can end up on technical support scam website in two ways:
- when they visit potentially dangerous websites, such as pornographic, gaming, gambling, etc.
- when adware is installed on their computer.
The scam mostly aims at American computer users. However, some cases were spotted in Great Britain, Spain, and Germany.[3] Thus, you should be aware of the fact that crooks are looking for victims all over the world.
Therefore, one of the ways to prevent “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” error shows up is to avoid visiting high-risk websites. Such sites often spread malicious content and scam website is not the worst infection you can get there.

However, the majority of traffic to this misleading website is driven by adware programs. These applications usually end up on computers with the help of programs that can be downloaded from various file-sharing sites and torrents.
The hijack might occur when a user installs a new program using Quick/Recommended setup that usually hides additional third-party apps attached to the primary program. To “unpack” the program and reject installation of undesired apps, you have to opt for Advanced/Custom settings and untick pre-selected third-party programs.
Get rid of “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” virus from the computer
Usually, “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” removal requires getting rid of the adware program. Its components might be located in the system and/or web browser. Thus, you have to find and uninstall them.
To complete virus removal, you have two choices. You can either get rid of it manually or automatically. The instructions below will help you to remove “Warning – Your Computer Is Infected” manually. However, if you want to speed up this procedure, you should opt for the automatic option.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

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

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

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

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

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

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

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

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

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

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

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

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

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

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

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

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