'Windows protected your PC' scam - How to remove

‘Windows protected your PC’ is a typical online scam elaborated by online criminals who intend to trick you into wasting your money for nothing. The pop-up is also referred to as a fake tech-support alert. The scam is distributed by means of deceptive websites, whereas the pop-ups that deliver the ‘Windows protected your PC’ message are the consequence of adware to be enabled in your system. Based on the text of the alert, it attacks Windows computers, however, similar frustrating statements may appear in Mac systems as well. The pop-up is similar to ‘License Key Revoked’, ‘Hard Drive Safety Delete’ and ‘Backdoor Virus Detected’ fake tech-support scam.

The ‘Windows protected your PC’ pop-up is referred to as the fake tech-support scam because it claims to be associated with Microsoft. However, this is absolutely not true. You may additionally notice the fake Microsoft Security toll-free number +1-833-779-4992 to be mentioned in the message, but this is yet another misleading trick elaborated by online frauds who try to make you trust them. Interacting with the ‘Windows protected your PC’ alert, calling +1-833-799-4992 toll-free number is strongly not recommended, otherwise you may end up losing your hard-earned money. Continue reading this tutorial as it explains the steps to fix your browser contaminated by the adware.

Is ‘Windows protected your PC’ alert genuine

The warning ‘Windows protected your PC’ is given as the one deriving from the Official Microsoft Support. Obviously, this is a totally faulty claim. Just as other online scam websites, the message is produced by frauds to mislead people into believing that they need to get in touch with the scammers who speak of themselves as some superb technicians who can solve all their computer-related problems. Below is the quotation from the above-mentioned scam:

Windows protected your PC
Windows SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at risk. For technical support call on +1-833-779-4992
Publisher: Unknown Publisher
App: windows10manager(1).exe
Run anyway Don’t run

‘Windows protected your PC’ scam may originate from several hacked websites, so you should not trust any of them. The best solution when you see these alerts is to disregard them and to shut down the pop-up windows. However, sometimes the alerts are very tricky and may switch your browser into the full-screen mode without letting you close the browser window. It is quite clear that the ‘Windows protected your PC’ alert is also the element of browser hijacking.

The problem with the ‘Windows protected your PC’ pop-ups is that they may appear multiple times and essentially distract you from performing the important work using your computer. You may go to some genuine website, however, soon the browser will redirect you to one of these malicious websites that may display the scam. Considering the fact that the message may appear in the full-screen, this will definitely be a very distracting factor for you that will prevent you from enjoying the use of your computer.

How to remove ‘Windows protected your PC’ scam

‘Windows protected your PC’ alerts are opened randomly in your browser because of certain PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) or adware. People unintentionally install these utilities on their browsers or computers. The unwanted program may be found in the list of installed programs, or alternatively mentioned in the list of browser extensions. A good solution, in this case, is to first uninstall suspicious applications and delete the extensions that might cause the problem. It might be necessary to perform a hard reset of your computer and restart it into safe mode with networking.

You ought to be extremely careful while surfing the Internet today and especially while dealing with free programs. The installers of free applications often suggest other additional software that may hijack the browser and cause redirections to random and hazardous websites. The fact that the adware got injected into your PC so easily means that your computer was not duly protected by your current anti-virus software. Please refer to the remainder of the guide below that explains the automatic removal of adware from your system. This method is more effective, it helps to identify the traces of malware that could not be identified manually. Furthermore, this automatic solution will secure your computer from the adware attacks in the future, so don’t hesitate and get yourself a copy of Spyhunter

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove 'Windows protected your PC' scam using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like 'Windows protected your PC' scam install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make 'Windows protected your PC' scam easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove 'Windows protected your PC' scam from macOS

Delete 'Windows protected your PC' scam from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the 'Windows protected your PC' scam app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving 'Windows protected your PC' scam from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to 'Windows protected your PC' scam. Click on the trash bin icon next to 'Windows protected your PC' scam or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving 'Windows protected your PC' scam from Firefox

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything 'Windows protected your PC' scam related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove 'Windows protected your PC' scam from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to 'Windows protected your PC' scam. Click on the "Remove" icon next to 'Windows protected your PC' scam or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving 'Windows protected your PC' scam from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the 'Windows protected your PC' scam. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to 'Windows protected your PC' scam, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari.
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.