"Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up - How to remove

You might be familiar with pop-ups that are created for the benefit of crooks. “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” message, as you might have guessed, is a phony that creates an illusion to intimidate computer owners that their version of Microsoft Windows is no longer stable. To make their spectacle more believable, the creators of “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up add a couple details that should support its credibility. For instance, once it appears, your computer background will turn dark. Your entire screen will be locked, except for the pop-up which requires some information to proceed. Further details about this fake message are going to be discussed in the following parts of the article.

About “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up

“Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up locks victims’ screens and tries to trick them into following instructions in the message. As it is implied, the usage of Windows is blocked because the recipient has to prove that his/hers version of Microsoft Windows is legitimate. In order to pursue this goal, it is required to finish up a survey. “Click here to get your key” is highlighted as a shortcut, allegedly leading to a survey. However, the destination of the link seems to lead to a monetization site. This facility is probably chosen randomly and has no association with the infection. Either way, you should not click on links that are implied to be necessary to visit: especially if these claims are made by odd pop-ups.

If at first users enter their real product keys, they won’t be accepted by “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up. It will persistently require you to follow its orders and to retrieve an appropriate code. It also demands, for some reason, your IP address. Since the promoted survey does not exist, there is no actual way of receiving a suitable key. Insisting that the operated version of Microsoft Windows is not genuine is not a new deceit. The masters of online scams have constructed a lot of similar variants and they all are strongly suggesting false truths. Expressed concerns over your operating system are deceptive and won’t lead you anywhere. The screenshot above visualizes a couple of appearances that “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up can take.

“Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up is most definitely displayed because your device has been influenced by a virus. It might be that a ransomware virus has slipped into your system and made some changes. The features that are described to follow “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up are somewhat similar to this type of malware. However, it also can be triggered by a Trojan or an adware. Long story short, you should choose an appropriate tool for the removal of this virus.

Distribution Methods of “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up

You might be experiencing inconveniences from “Microsoft Windows is not genuine” pop-up because of your poor browsing skills. If you never want to get infected, please clean your inboxes regularly and stay away from spam. In addition to this, you should never enter domains that are focused on displaying intrusive and questionable features. Downloading of software should also be regarded as a serious responsibility: think about it, it is important to know exactly who you are inviting to join your system. That is why downloading programs from doubtful sites is not recommended. You can download a modified version of a program which will install more programs. Usually, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are offered during installation processes of free software.

As we have indicated before, it is important to run a thorough security scan to find out the exact threat you are facing. This action can be carried out with the help from Spyhunter, Hitman or any other reliable anti-malware tool. Manual removal can be found below: users that have experience in removing malware should choose this option.

How to recover "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover "Microsoft Windows is not genuine" pop-up encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.