My computer has been locked up with a pop up from Microsoft Windows security services with a phone number to call

Question

My computer has been locked up with a pop up from Microsoft Windows safety services with a phone number to call. How do I get out of the lock up?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

What you’re seeing is a scam pop-up, not a real Microsoft message. Microsoft does not lock your computer and ask you to call a phone number.

Do not call the number shown on the screen.

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If you haven't tried anything yet please start by:

Closing browser affected by scam pop-up:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Look for your browser (Edge, Chrome, etc.).
• Click it, then choose End Task.

If that doesn’t work:

• Press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds to force shut down.
• Turn the PC back on after 30 seconds.

After restarting:

• Open your browser.
• If it asks to restore previous tabs, choose No.
• Clear your browser history and cache.

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Run a full antivirus scan on your computer using Windows Security and any third-party antivirus software you have.

Run a full deep scan using a trusted security tool:

• Download and run Microsoft Safety Scanner here: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-endpoint/safety-scanner-download
• After running the scan, please restart your PC and monitor whether the issue continues.

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I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Regards,

John J.D.

Answer 2

Question unanswered

Answer 3

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