how to remove virus pop-ups

Question

Pop up is showing up that my computer is infected with a virus how do I fix it?

Answer 1

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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The link you provided in your question is broken. It only leads to the Microsoft Q&A home screen. Did you try posting a screenshot?

The pop-up you're referring to is likely an attempt to persuade you to install malware on your system with the promise of cleaning an infection, which is false.

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Please clarify the following:

Is the pop-up appearing directly within Microsoft Edge, or does it show up as a Windows notification?

If possible, please share the pop-up you receive via screenshot. Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

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Looking forward to your reply.

Answer 2

Those pop-ups are almost always fake “tech support” or “antivirus” scam messages running in the browser, not real Windows virus alerts. Use these steps to close them and reduce the chance of seeing them again.

1. Close the fake virus page

• Try pressing F11 to exit full-screen mode, then close the tab.
• If that fails, press Alt + F4 repeatedly to close the browser window, or Ctrl + W to close the current tab.
• If the browser will not close, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select the browser (for example, Microsoft Edge or Chrome), and choose End task.
• As a last resort, hold the PC’s power button until it turns off, then turn it back on.

Real Windows error messages do not show a phone number to call. Pages that lock the screen, play audio, and tell to call support are scams.

2. Clear the browser cache After closing the pop-up, clear cached data so the same page is less likely to reload.

• In Microsoft Edge, open the browser and clear browsing data (cache, cookies, etc.).
• For other browsers, follow their cache-clearing instructions (for example, Chrome and Firefox have built-in steps to clear cache and cookies).

3. Block pop-ups and malicious ads

• Use the built-in pop-up blocker in Microsoft Edge (it is on by default).
• Consider installing a reputable ad blocker extension from the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store (such as uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus) to reduce malicious ads that trigger these scam pages.

4. Check for notification-based fake alerts If “virus” messages appear as Windows notifications even when the browser is minimized, they may come from a website that was allowed to send notifications.

• In Edge, open site notification settings and remove or block any suspicious sites from the Allow list.

5. Run security checks if infection is suspected If the PC is slow, unstable, or shows other malware symptoms (frequent crashes, changed home page, constant pop-ups):

• Run Windows Update to install the latest security updates.
• Run a full scan with Microsoft Defender or another trusted anti-malware app.
• Optionally, run the Microsoft Safety Scanner to detect and remove common malware issues. For more advanced cases, Windows Defender Offline can help detect and remove persistent threats such as rootkits.

6. Be aware of tech support scams Scam sites often:

• Show fake blue-screen or activation errors
• Go full screen and disable Task Manager
• Continuously display pop-ups and play warning audio
• Urge calling a “support” phone number

Legitimate Microsoft or Windows messages do not ask to call a phone number. Do not call any number shown in a pop-up, and do not let unknown callers or websites remotely access the PC.

If there is concern that the system is actually infected or behavior continues after these steps, use the Microsoft security tools listed above or contact Microsoft’s virus and security support channels for additional help.

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References:

• Protect yourself from tech support scams
• Protect my PC from viruses
• Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses
• possible virus, computer locked - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Defender Scam or Do I have a virus on my computer - Microsoft Q&A
• I WAS HACKED - Microsoft Q&A