Microsoft System Security Alert" virus: what it is and how to remove it
"Microsoft System Security Alert" virus appears as a fake pop-up message on highly suspicious websites which are used for phishing purposes . Once the malicious program is on your system, you receive "Oops!!
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Microsoft System Security Alert" virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Microsoft System Security Alert" virus |
| Type | Loader |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 3 more facts
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| First seen | 1 December 2017 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Microsoft System Security Alert" virus does on an infected PC
From our report of Dec 2017 · not reviewed since
Microsoft System Security Alert merely tries to swindle money from you
"Microsoft System Security Alert" virus appears as a fake pop-up message on highly suspicious websites which are used for phishing purposes .
Once the malicious program is on your system, you receive "Oops!! Something Went Wrong With Your Windows" message. At this point, we want to assure you that your computer is safe.
The deceptive website that displays "Microsoft System Security Alert" error prevents the user from closing pop-ups that emerge one after another. They seek to convince the user to call tech support scammers and ask them for assistance with the computer problem. Sadly, the only problem is the malware that redirects the user to the phishing website.
Scammers working behind these projects aim to swindle money, personal data or gain access to victim's PC. Therefore, it is clear that you must remove "Microsoft System Security Alert" virus as soon as the bogus message appears on your screen. You may want to use software for its removal.
The fraudulent error message at 8vbcservercrush57report[.]tk says:
At the same time, the phishing website plays an audio message for the victim:
It is important that you complete "Microsoft System Security Alert" removal before it convinces you or your relative to call scammers. Scammers use various techniques to make the victim believe that the computer is heavily infected and that it can be fixed only with the help of pricey anti-malware programs.
Keep in mind that scammers only try to sell legitimate programs for a couple or more times bigger price. Besides, according to the latest report from Virus Activity , they often bundle dangerous programs with them.
You do not need to call anyone in order to fix the so-called issue identified on "Oops!! Something Went Wrong With Your Windows" scam.
All that you need to do is to select a trustworthy anti-spyware or anti-malware software(such as ), install it and run a complete system scan in order to detect the threats. We do not advise you to remove this virus manually because it has a tendency to hide in the computer system to avoid detection.
From our report of Dec 2017 · not reviewed since
Adware can be installed on your PC without permission
Note that "Oops!!
Something Went Wrong With Your Windows" is not the only fake alert you can encounter on the cyberspace. There are numerous tech support scam viruses which are distributed via illegal software cracks, audio and video file downloads. However, the most popular technique to infect computers is to bundle the adware with regular programs.
Before you click the fatal "Install" button, you want to make sure that all bundled programs are removed from the program that you have just downloaded. Apparently, software installers do not directly provide information about these, so you will have to find them yourself. We suggest looking in Custom/Advanced settings.
Just select this option for your installation and then decide which programs should be placed on your PC and which ones should not. We usually recommend deselecting all of the suggested programs.
From our report of Dec 2017 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Microsoft System Security Alert" virus
- Microsoft System Security Alert Oops!!
- Something went wrong with your Windows [...] Please Contact Microsoft Windows Help Desk Customer Support: +1-866-217-8835 (TOLL-FREE)
- Important security message - Your computer has been locked up.
- Your IP address was used without your knowledge or consent to visit websites that contain identity theft websites.
- To unlock the computer, please call our support immediately.
How to remove Microsoft System Security Alert" virus
A loader's job is to install other malware, so treat the PC as infected with more than one program until the scans are clean.
Step 1: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Open Task Scheduler from the Start menu and click Task Scheduler Library.
Select each task you do not recognise and read the Actions tab: a task that starts a file in
%AppData%or%Temp%, runs powershell with a long encoded line, or opens a web address belongs to Microsoft System Security Alert" virus or a similar program.Right-click such a task and choose Delete, and check the subfolders too. Leave tasks from Microsoft, your PC's maker and programs you use. Task Scheduler is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 2: Remove it from startup
Whatever Microsoft System Security Alert" virus installed usually starts with Windows.
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 3: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 5: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Assume that the passwords saved in this PC's browsers, and the accounts that were open in them, are known to the attacker. From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and gaming accounts.
Use each service's option to sign out of all other sessions, because stolen cookies keep a session open even after a password change. Turn on two-step verification on each account. Wait with the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC until the scans are clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
From our report of Dec 2017 · not reviewed since
Get rid of "Microsoft System Security Alert" virus for good
If you are already tired of annoying pop-up you can remove "Microsoft System Security Alert" quickly with the help of a powerful security software.
Something Went Wrong With Your Windows" message.
To succeed in "Microsoft System Security Alert" removal, we suggest restarting your device into Safe Mode with Networking. This helps to disable all dangerous programs because sometimes they attempt to block security products so that they couldn't remove spyware and malware from the system.
[GI=method-2]If the first method didn't help you, try this one:
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Your passwords after Microsoft System Security Alert" virus
Removing Microsoft System Security Alert" virus does not undo what it may already have sent out while the PC showed microsoft System Security Alert" virus in the list of installed apps. Treat saved browser passwords and logged-in sessions on this PC as known to the attacker.
From another device, change the e-mail password first and end all its sessions. Then do the same for the bank, PayPal, Microsoft, Google and Apple accounts. Stolen session cookies keep working after a password change until you sign out everywhere.
Move crypto to a new wallet created on a clean device. A step-by-step order for every kind of account is in our guide to account security after an infection.
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 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
- 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, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Microsoft System Security Alert" virus
What is Microsoft System Security Alert" virus and why is it on my PC?
Microsoft System Security Alert" virus is a program that was installed on the PC, most likely together with something else you downloaded. Free software sites and many installers add extra programs on setup pages with pre-ticked boxes, so the extra install looks like your choice even though nobody read the page.
Check the install date in Settings, Apps, Installed apps: the program you installed that day is the probable carrier. If you do not need Microsoft System Security Alert" virus, uninstall it. If it belongs to your hardware or to a program you use, search its exact name and publisher first, because drivers and their tools can have unfamiliar names.
Microsoft System Security Alert" virus came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If Microsoft System Security Alert" virus still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
Can Microsoft System Security Alert" virus spread to other devices on my network?
Most trojans aimed at home users stay on the PC they infected, but an attacker with remote access can look at the network, open shared folders and try passwords on other devices. Loaders sometimes deliver worms or ransomware that do spread.
Disconnect the PC while cleaning, run a full scan on other Windows PCs, change the router's admin password and the Wi-Fi password if they were saved on the infected PC, and update the router's firmware. If other PCs show the same detection, treat them as infected too.
Can a normal remote support program be a backdoor?
Yes. Tools such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer and ScreenConnect are legitimate, but whoever controls the account behind them controls the PC. Scammers install them during fake support calls, and some trojan campaigns install them silently because antivirus programs do not flag a genuine, signed product.
If you find one you did not set up, uninstall it, check Startup apps for related entries and change passwords from another device. If money or accounts were involved, call your bank and report the incident.
What are the signs of a trojan infection?
Most trojans try to leave no visible signs, so look for side effects. Common ones:
- Windows Security turned off or unable to update
- new entries in Startup apps or Task Scheduler
- programs in Installed apps you did not install
- browser settings that changed by themselves
- unusual network activity while the PC is idle
- password-reset or login-alert e-mails you did not trigger
None of these proves an infection on its own. Together with an antivirus alert naming Microsoft System Security Alert" virus, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Which malware family is Microsoft System Security Alert" virus?
That is not known yet. Microsoft System Security Alert" virus has been reported by people who saw microsoft System Security Alert" virus in the list of installed apps, but no sample has been analysed publicly, so security companies have not assigned it to a family.
The name you see may be a file or program name chosen by the authors, not a family name. This does not stop you from removing it: the startup points, the offline scan and the account steps are the same for most families of this type.
If Microsoft Defender or another scanner gives the file a detection name, write it down; that name is the best clue to the family and is useful when you report the incident.
Is a trojan infection worth reporting to the police?
If there was harm, yes. Unauthorised payments, accounts used for fraud, blackmail or a remote session during a scam call all belong in a report, and banks often ask for its reference number before they refund anything.
If antivirus caught Microsoft System Security Alert" virus before it ran and nothing was misused, there is nothing to report. Keep the evidence anyway:
- protection history
- the original download
- the dates
Businesses may also have to notify a data protection authority if personal data could have been accessed.
Should I reset my PC because of Microsoft System Security Alert" virus?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see microsoft System Security Alert" virus in the list of installed apps again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
Can I keep using the PC while Microsoft System Security Alert" virus is on it?
Not for anything that matters. As long as the program behind microsoft System Security Alert" virus in the list of installed apps runs, it can see what you type and what the browser stores, and it may download more malware.
Disconnect the PC from the internet while you remove it, and do your banking, e-mail and password changes from another device. Once the offline scan finds nothing and the sign does not return after a few restarts, normal use is fine.
If the scan keeps finding new items, or you cannot remove the startup entry, a reset of Windows is the safer choice.
Will Fortect remove Microsoft System Security Alert" virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Microsoft System Security Alert" virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Yahoo Safety - Security: How Can I Identify a Phishing Website or Email? (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft TechNet - Windows Security: Breaking down a notably sophisticated tech support scam M.O. (read October 7, 2026)
- VirusActivity: VirusActivity (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)