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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · May 2021

How to remove Error XR01F5

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

Alice Woods · Likes to teach users about virus prevention

Error XR01F5 – a fake pop-up that accuses users of visiting pornographic content

Error XR01F5 pop-up scam

Error XR01F5 is a misleading pop-up message which claims to be a critical alert and requires quick system fixing. The pop-up scam is presented as a message from Microsoft that reveals about stolen information due to a pornographic virus that has been installed on the victim's computer.

The tech support number (866) 753-2724 is provided in order to make users call it within at least five minutes. Allegedly, if this requirement is not fulfilled, it may result in permanent personal data loss , or the computer might be disabled from further usage. As evident, all this information is fake and should not be adhered to.

What you need to do is only press the “X” in the upper right corner of your browser window to close the misleading website; otherwise, you might be tricked into providing sensitive information, downloading malicious software, or paying for premium number calls. Also, you should check your device for potentially unwanted programs/adware if you encounter redirects regularly.

Error XR01F5 scam states that data such as Facebook logins, credit card details, email account logins, photos, and documents that are stored on your computer are being stolen at the moment due to pornographic spyware and virus that has been detected in the machine system. You can see the full message here:

Security Warning:
Microsoft Warning Alert
Error # XR01F5
Please call us immediately at: (866) 753-2724 (Microsoft Toll Free)
Do not ignore this critical alert.
If you close this page, your computer access will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network.
Your computer has alerted us that it has been infected with a pornographic spyware and virus. The following information is being stolen:
1. Facebook logins
2. Credit card details
3. Email account logins
4. Photos and documents stored on this computer
Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer from being disabled or from any information loss.
Toll Free: (866) 753-2724

Users have been discussing the appearance of this fake error on their computers in Microsoft forums. One user has claimed to see it more than once in his/her browser app.[1] However, technical support scams are not uncommon throughout the Internet sphere. There are other similar apps created to target gullible users, for example, Microsoft Spyware Alert, Windows Defender Alert: Zeus Virus.

Threat name Error XR01F5 
Category Pop-up scam
Sub-category Potentially unwanted program/adware 
Fake tech support number (866) 753-2724
Appearance circumstances The fake message can appear on rogue websites or by caused due to an installation of a suspicious program (e.g. adware)
Prevention tips Avoid visiting questionable websites, do not install software from unknown sources
Similar scams Microsoft Spyware Alert, Windows Defender Alert: Zeus Virus
Removal SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or another security software can be used to clean the system from malware and adware
Optional steps Clean your web browsers thoroughly – you can use FortectIntego for a quick solution

You should understand that no reliable company will approach you and state about critical system issues in pop-up messages. If you truly want to check your entire system for possible threats and infections, you should download and install a reputable program for this kind of process. Our suggestion would be to use FortectIntego, however, feel free to install any other software if it is considered to be handy and trustworthy.

Error XR01F5 and similar scamming messages have only one purpose, to trick users and force them to call the given technical support number. We recommend staying away from dialing this mobile phone number as you cannot know what is waiting for you at the end of the phone. Crooks might ask you to provide some personal details about yourself or some system-related information.

In some cases, a technical support scam[2] might be just a promotion for some rogue system optimization programs which do not bring true value or effect. Make sure that you deny all solutions for contacting the fake specialists and determine the cause of this scamming message. If you are receiving such pop-up only on some particular websites, an ad-blocking component might be enough to stop these notifications from being displayed.

Error XR01F5 scam message

However, if you have been dealing with these pop-up notifications often and they do not end after closing the websites in which you meet them, then you should consider the option of having a potentially unwanted program installed on the computer which is causing the display of this scam. Scan the system with reliable anti-malware and make sure to stop unwanted redirects and ads on your PC.

Error XR01F5 pop-up scam removal is necessary if you want to stop the annoying notification displaying activity. Even though the message might not be harmful if you do not contact any given numbers in it, you might be dealing with browser struggles, slowdowns, crashes, and other similar problems due to the advertising activity it might promote. Keep in mind, that these pop-ups also can harden your browsing sessions and trigger your searching.

Free software packages might deliver suspicious programs and their components

If you have been experiencing questionable activities such as advertising, malvertising, or changes in your web browsers recently, the cause of it might be a potentially unwanted program. According to virus experts from LosVirus.es,[3] suspicious applications can be planted in unprotected websites and delivered straight to the computer system via infectious hyperlinks, indirect downloading links, or advertising notifications.

However, the most common adware and other PUPs distribution technique is via bundled freeware/shareware.[4] This means that the unwanted application comes together with regular software in a package and installs on the system also together. Good news, you can avoid such a thing. What you have to do is select the Custom/Advanced configuration and take care of your incoming downloads from once in a while.

Another good option to keep your computer system safe and clean is gaining knowledge on what kind of tool would be the best for you and your computer's protection. There is a big variety of anti-malware, anti-spyware, and antivirus software to choose from. Make sure you choose a reliable program, install it on your system, and keep it always updated.

Error XR01F5 removal process from Windows in two different methods

To stop fake notifications on your system, you should check your web browsers – Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari – cleaning them is an essential part of the process.

Get rid of the Error XR01F5 virus by using reputable anti-malware in a couple of minutes. Choose a trustworthy program, and all of your problems should be gone in a couple of minutes. Also, you can continue with our below-given manual elimination guide and use these instructions to terminate the cyber threat with your effort.

You can also use a manual guide that would show you how to uninstall potentially unwanted programs via the Control Panel or the Applications folder on Mac. Keep in mind that a scan with security software is always recommended when dealing with unknown pop-ups.

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

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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