Remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus (Removal Guide) - Jan 2021 update
Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR is a scam, using red screen just to attract its victims
“Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” is a scam which belongs to cybercriminals[1] and has nothing to do with Microsoft. It is one of Critical Error viruses which have been urging victims to call “Microsoft at toll-free 1-844-734-4622 for immediate support.” Please, do NOT fall for dialing this number because you will be connected to scammers who are seeking to swindle victims' money.
Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR message informs the victim that “there was a dangerous try to get access to personal login & bank information.” The message states that data leak could occur due to Trojan or virus on the system, and that is the reason to get “professional” help immediately. Sadly, the aggressive pop-up simply aims to scare inexperienced computer users and make them react without thinking.
Fraudsters behind the “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” scam seek to swindle money from unsuspecting victims and take control of their computers to install malware. Their techniques to swindle money are very basic. Usually, they tell the victim to perform series of commands and see that the system is corrupted.
In reality, they merely command the victim go into Windows Registry or other system settings’ panel and look at entries with names that cause confusion for inexperienced users. Consequently, fraudsters suggest installing anti-malware or anti-spyware product to “fix” these issues. However, they promote overpriced software packs that cost over several hundred US dollars.
Another scenario is to use Microsoft Critical error to trick victims into providing a remote access to their computer via one of legitimate remote access programs, such as TeamViewer or LogMeIn. These programs aren’t viruses, but cybercriminals are using them to gain the access to the target computer and install any kind of malware (ransomware, keylogger or Trojan) on it.[2]
Therefore, we strongly recommend you to remove Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR message as soon as you notice these virus alerts on your browser. Ideally, scan your computer with anti-malware software to identify the cause of these ads. The 2-spyware team suggests using ReimageIntego or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner software for a quick “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” removal.
Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR virus tries to convince the victim to call tech support scammers via the provided number.
Ways to run into the described error message
Malware that displays deceptive pop-ups usually travels via email, although users can also unknowingly install it alongside illegal software packs or just by installing a software bundle in a rush. To prevent installation of scareware, please follow the tips provided by Udenvirus.dk team[3]:
- When checking your email, bypass messages with attachments or questionable links in them, especially if they were sent by someone you do not know personally.
- Never install licensed software for “free” from file sharing sites. Such software packs and cracks often contain some unwanted additions that belong to malware category.
- Protect your machine from malicious attempts to compromise it with anti-malware software. Do not forget to regularly update it (you should do this with all software installed on your computer).
Remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” malware
To wipe the malware from your system, use “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” removal guidelines provided below. We strongly recommend using anti-malware software to finish the removal. Such deceptive programs are designed to root into the computer system so that the victim could not delete them that easily.
If you are interested in ways to remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus automatically, consider using one of the programs tested by the 2-Spyware team. You can find a list of them below.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
To remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus, follow these steps:
Eliminate “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” from Windows systems
To get rid of the scam from Windows, follow the guide provided below. If it won't help to identify and remove the problem, consider using anti-malware software to delete the malware causing pop-ups from the system.
To remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus from Windows 10/8 machines, please follow these steps:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find entries related to “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus (or any other recently installed suspicious program).
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Erase “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” from Mac OS X system
If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:
Remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus-related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries related to “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus-related entries.
Remove “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” from Internet Explorer (IE)
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 “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus and other 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 again to complete “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus removal.
Uninstall “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus from Microsoft Edge
To fix Microsoft Edge web browser, make sure you eliminate suspicious browser add-ons. In this case, you should pay attention to their developer, whether you can remember installing them on the system, etc.
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 “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus-related extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Reset MS Edge if that 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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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 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.
Delete “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” 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 plugins that are related to “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus and click Remove.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
In case “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus removal.
Get rid of “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus 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.
If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus-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 to complete “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus removal.
Eliminate “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension related to “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” virus and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of “Microsoft Edge Critical ERROR” registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
- ^ Tech support scams. Microsoft. Windows Defender Security Intelligence.
- ^ Conversation With a Tech Support Scammer. Lenny Zeltser. Information Security in Business.
- ^ Udenvirus. Udenvirus. Malware Removal Guides.
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