What is Error #268D3? And how does it work?

Error #268D3 is not a real error code or error message. It is nothing but another tech support scam that appears in compromised web browsers out of nowhere. This kind of tech support scam closely resembles other tech support scams that also aims to make users believe that their computers are blocked due to some error which in this case is Error #268D3. The instant you get redirected to the malicious web page hosting this scam, you will see the following bogus alert:
“** YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN BLOCKED **
Error # 268D3-XC00037
Please call us immediately at: +1-833-864-5500
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 virus and spyware. The following information is being stolen…
Facebook Login
> Credit Card Details
> Email Account Login
> Photos stored on this computer
You must contact us immediately so that our engineers can walk you through the removal process over the phone. Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer from being disabled.
Toll-Free:+1-833-864-5500.
Prevent this page from creating additional dialogues.”
Never believe this tech support scam even though it makes use of error code just to make it seem more realistic and to imitate legitimate alerts from Microsoft. You should not ignore this alert as it could also indicate the presence of ad-supported program installed in your system. The best thing you can do to immediately removes the adware program from this tech support scam.
How does Error #268D3 scam spread online?
The tech support scam, Error #268D3 spreads online through advertisements that redirect you to malicious websites containing this bogus alert. And as already pointed out, it could also be caused by some adware program on your computer. Adware programs usually roam the web through free software bundles. So when you install a free software package using only the standard installation setup, you will end up installing all the programs attached to the bundle – adware program included. To make sure it won’t happen again, you must install any freeware or shareware using only the Custom or Advanced installation setup.
Carefully follow the removal guide below to get rid of the Error #268D3 tech support scam.
Step 1: Tap F11 to exit if your browser is forced into full-screen mode.
Step 2: After that, try to close the browser manually. If you find it hard to do so, close the browser through the Task Manager.
Step 3: Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to launch the Task Manager.
Step 4: After opening the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the affected browser’s process and end it by clicking End Task or End Process.

Step 5: Close the Task Manager and tap the Win + R keys to open Run and then type in appwiz.cpl to open Control Panel to uninstall the adware program behind the fake alert.
Step 6: Look for the adware program or any unfamiliar program under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.

Step 7: Close Control Panel.
Step 8: Then tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Step 9: Reset all your browsers back to their default state.
Google Chrome

1. Launch Google Chrome, press Alt + F, move to More tools, and click Extensions.
2. Look for suspicious browser extensions or any unwanted add-on, click the Recycle Bin button, and choose Remove.
3. Restart Google Chrome, then tap Alt + F, and select Settings.
4. Navigate to the On Startup section at the bottom.
5. Select “Open a specific page or set of pages”.
6. Click the More actions button next to the hijacker and click Remove.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Open the browser and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
2. In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
3. Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
4. Select Options and then move to the General menu.
5. Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.

Internet Explorer

1. Launch Internet Explorer.
2. Tap Alt + T and select Internet options.
3. Click the General tab and then overwrite the URL under the homepage section.
4. Click OK to save the changes made.

Step 8: Navigate to the following directories and look for the adware installer like the software bundle it came with as well as other suspicious files and delete them.

• %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
• %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
• %TEMP%

Step 10: Close the File Explorer and empty your Recycle Bin.
To make sure “Error #268D3” scam is completely eliminated as well as the adware program behind it, follow the advanced steps below:
Perform a full system scan using Advanced System Repair Pro. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot
2. After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

3. To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
4. Windows will now load the SafeMode with Networking.
5. Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

6. If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
7. Type in the URL address, http://advancedsystemrepair.com/ASR_Installation.exein the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
8. After that, it will download Advanced System Repair Pro. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
9. Once the installation process is completed, run Advanced System Repair Pro to perform a full system scan.

10. After the scan is completed click the “Fix, Clean & Optimize Now”button.