How to remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up

Delete Microsoft Support Alert pop-up from system

Microsoft Support Alert pop-up displays a fake error message on a malicious website that users visit inadvertently-they are redirected by a potentially unwanted application already installed into the device. As per researchers, such apps are especially design to launch various ad-based campaigns to trigger people into rogue apps or even other malicious malware download. Follow the guidelines provided below the post for its removal in order to prevent various risks associated with the infection.

More about Microsoft Support Alert pop-up

Microsoft Support Alert pop-up states that the system has detected unusual activity that poses a threat to users’ personal data. In addition, it encourages users to report this activity to a technical centre via provided telephone number. On the call, the users are offered technical services for which they are asked to pay certain amount of fee. Further, the supposed technicians on the call request users to provide remote access to the device. They do this in order to inject other malicious malware, conduct malicious changes to the system settings, and steal data stored into it. For all these reasons, you should ignore the Microsoft Support Alert pop-up. You can remove it just by clicking the close button on the top right corner of the page or by rebooting the system.

As said earlier, users visit this type of sites as a redirect from some potentially unwanted apps that already installed on their device. Thus, you need to remove this adware app or, otherwise various other similar pop-up messages and alters constantly appear on one page or other. Such apps also bring shady redirects to various affiliated, sponsored pages all the time when users open their browsing tab and Window. In addition, they can track users’ browsing session and collect the data related to their browsing activities. The list of these data includes IP addresses, Search queries, Viewed pages, URLs visited, ISP, Geo-locations etc. These data could be shared to potent crooks who misuse them to generate illicit revenue. Thus, the data tracking can result into huge risk of privacy and can cause identity exposure. You should wait for such things from happening in future. Below this, remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up causing adware from the system.

Threat Summary

Type: Adware

Symptoms: The main signs of the adware are the changes in the browser settings such as homepages and the URL tab pages sections, shady redirects, intrusive ads with each visiting sites even on the pages where usually ads do not appear, and decreased browsing system functioning and operations

Distribution: software bundling and intrusive ads or links

Damages: Other malicious malware infiltration, browsing data tracking

Removal: Use some reputable antivirus tool or follow the manual malware removal guide provided below the post in order to remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up from the browser and the system

How adware operates?

Adware does all its activities by running on the background. Certainly, it conducts various malicious changes to the system settings to gain such preferences like activating with each OS reboot and running all the time on the PC background. Its primitive function is to display ads with each site that users visit, make them visit the site belongs to the hackers and track their activities online. To achieve these features, it modifies the browsers settings and add malicious sites belongs to the hackers to the homepage and new tab page sections, and inject browser extensions, plug-ins and add-ons and tracking technologies on the browsers. Doing such processes require high amount of CPU and GPU utilization that may affect the general working performance of the device or might lead it to permanently crashes or freezes.

How did adware intrude in?

Adware or other potentially unwanted programs are mostly distributed via software bundling method. In this deceptive marketing method of bundling, stealth installation of unwanted apps takes place with some regular software. What the developers do is hide the bundled apps behind Custom/Advanced option of the download/install setups. Users who rush the download/install moment by not using Custom/Advanced option and skip to the crucial installation steps often lead the inadvertent installation of unwanted applications.

How to prevent PUPs installation?

You should use official websites and direct links for any software download. Avoid p2p networks, free file hosting sites and third party downloaders or installers that are deemed as untrustworthy. Also, pay attention during the installation moment – choose Custom/Advanced option that provides you a list of all attached apps with the chosen software during the installation moment and so you can deselect all unwanted apps to get inside the device and download the only software that you want. For betterment, employ some reputable antivirus tool that provides adequate protection to the device.

Remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up

Manual malware removal guide is provided below in step by step manner. Follow it so that you will not find any trouble during removal process. You can use some reputable antivirus tool to automatically remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up from the system.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up:

Remove the related items of Microsoft Support Alert pop-up using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Microsoft Support Alert pop-up issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Microsoft Support Alert pop-up) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Microsoft Support Alert pop-up removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter. In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Microsoft Support Alert pop-up still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Microsoft Support Alert pop-up plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”. Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Microsoft Support Alert pop-up removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Microsoft Support Alert pop-up (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications. Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.