What is Windows protected your PC scam? And how does it work?
Windows protected your PC scam is a new nasty bogus alert that can appear on your browser as you browse the internet. It can affect any kind of browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and so on. This kind of alert is displayed on malicious websites with unsecure domains. When you get redirected into one, you will see a pop-up message that contains the following text:
“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 +1-888-365-4348
Publisher: Unknown Publisher
App: windows10manager(1).exe”
This bogus alert might seem frightening and alarming, you shouldn’t believe it as it’s just a ploy to get you to call the fake tech support number which is (+1-888-365-4348). Calling this fake tech support number would be a huge mistake and one that you’d regret right away as the people behind the line are not really technicians that might only convince you to install highly suspicious software or force you to pay for an unnecessary service and worse, unknowingly grant them remote access to your computer.
So instead of calling this fake bogus tech support number, you have to close the tab of the browser that’s displaying it and if you’re unable to do so, close the browser altogether, and if you once again find it hard to close the browser, you can end its process in the Task Manager. However, this is just a temporary fix so you have to get to the root cause of the issue which may be an adware program installed in your computer that’s causing the appearance of the deceiving alert.
How does Windows protect your PC scam circulate the web?
If you keep seeing the Windows-protected PC scam on a regular basis, this only means that some ad-supported program is causing such redirects. Adware programs are known to trigger all kinds of alerts, tech support scams, included. So you have to double-check all the programs installed in your system and look for the ones that look suspicious or the ones that you don’t remember ever installing. This is the only way to completely get rid of the tech support scam.
Get rid of the pesky Windows-protected PC scam as well as the adware program that’s causing it with the help of the removal guide provided below.
Step_1: The first thing you have to do is close the tab or the browser displaying the Windows-protected PC scam. However, if your browser is forced to go into full-screen mode because of the fake alert, tap F11 on your keyboard to exit 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 reset all the affected browsers to default.
Google Chrome
- Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
- After that, click on Settings.
- Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
- After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
- Now restart Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
- In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
- Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
- Select Options and then move to the General menu.
- Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.
Internet Explorer
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
- Then click Internet Options.
- After that, go to the Advanced tab.
- From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
- Now click OK to save the changes made.
- Restart your computer.
Step_6: Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and then type in “appwiz.cpl” to open Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step_7: From there, look for the adware program or any unfamiliar program that could be related to the Windows-protected PC scam under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.
Step_8: Close the Control Panel and tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Step_9: 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: Edit your Hosts File.
- Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
- Go to System32/drivers/etc.
- Open the hosts file using Notepad.
- Delete all the entries of any suspicious web URL.
- After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.
Step_11: Now you have to flush the DNS cache of your computer. To do so, right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step_12: Close the File Explorer and empty your Recycle Bin.
Congratulations, you have just removed Windows-protected your PC Scam in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit fixmypcfree.com daily.
Now that’s how you remove Windows-protected your PC Scam in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
