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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Mar 2018

How to remove We Have Detected A Serious Problem

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

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

We Have Detected A Serious Problem is a fraudulent message which tries to make users perform a fake scan

We Have Detected A Serious Problem scam

We Have Detected A Serious Problem is a fake alert that is trying to scare users with non-existent computer threats. The cause for that is to make user install bogus software or steal personal information. The redirects to mac.advancesystemcare.co (which is causing the pop-up) are typically originated by adware.[1]

Name We Have Detected A Serious Problem
Type Adware
Danger level Medium
Symtoms Browser redirects to mac.advancesystemcare.co and other questionable websites;
Distribution Bundling, questionable websites
Removal methods  Consider downloading and installing FortectIntego. Also, you can try out our manual elimination method

The purpose of We Have Detected A Serious Problem virus is to generate various adverts in forms of pop-ups, deals, banners, offers, fake alerts, bogus software updates and similar. The content is promoted so that the adware creators could profit from unsuspected users. Ads are injected directly into Google Chrome, Safari or other browsers.

The attack can be directed to both, Mac and Windows users. Fake pop-up authors insert the correct OS name and version, making it more convincing. Additionally, crooks are using scare tactics to make users believe, that their machine is in great danger, and needs an urgent fix. However, it is not the case, and the only infection affecting victims’ computer is adware.

The fake alert displayed by We Have Detected A Serious Problem states:

mac.advancesystemcare.co says:
*** Warning***
Please consider cleaning your system.
Your Mac might not run normally until this is correctly fixed

Then, the webpage content proceeds with scary red alerts (naming few viruses), reminding of legitimate scan results of a genuine anti-virus program. Thus, users who never encountered such fake alerts before might get frightened and proceed with a bogus scan.

Crooks can use colors, logos, themes, etc. which are identical to Apple's or Windows'. This is done to make the alert more credible. However, you should never trust these messages. Merely check the address bar of your browser, and you will notice that the webpage is suspicious and does not come from Apple[2] or Windows.

If, however, you proceed with the alleged scan, you might be asked to enter some personal details or download software you do not need. The personal data might end up in cybercriminals’ hands, or your money from bank account might be stolen. That is another reason why We Have Detected A Serious Problem removal is essential.

Continual redirects to mac.advancesystemcare.co is not the only symptom which you machine might emit. Adware typically shows the following signs:

  • layers of ads conceal legitimate websites’ content;
  • installs additional components into your browser;
  • redirects to questionable domains;
  • alters your favorites/bookmarks;
  • slows down your machine considerably, etc.

You might struggle to detect adware or other PUPs causing these redirects. Therefore, it is a good idea to scan your system with FortectIntego – it can detect and remove We Have Detected A Serious Problem in just a few minutes.

We Have Detected A Serious Problem virus

Distribution methods adware creators use

Adware is typically distributed by employing bundling method – a vastly popular marketing campaign used by free software developers and PUP creators. Freeware developers generate revenue if the additional component gets installed on victims’ machine. The other party receives a benefit too, as it guarantees sneaky but secure PUP delivery.

Thus, to avoid unwanted programs on your machine, security experts[3] advise to be careful when installing free software. Never rush the installation process and read through EULA/Privacy Policy. Additionally, when prompted, opt for Advanced/Custom installation mode instead of Quick/Recommended one. This way, you will be able to untick all the pre-ticked checkmarks and avoid PUPs.

Eliminate adware and get rid of annoying We Have Detected A Serious Problem messages

You can remove We Have Detected A Serious Problem scam pop-ups by following our step-by-step guide beneath this post. However, make sure you execute each step attentively and in the correct order. Otherwise, the virus might return.

We Have Detected A Serious Problem removal can also be performed by a powerful security tool. We suggest picking one of the programs mentioned below. These applications are designed to find sneaky adware and other PUPs and eliminate them for good.

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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