What is Fake Microsoft Tech Support? The Fake Microsoft Tech Support is a misleading web site that created in order to force you into calling a Fake Support Service. Computer security professionals has determined that users are rerouted to the Fake Microsoft Tech Support by a variety of potentially unwanted programs from the adware (also known as ‘ad-supported’ software) family. The undesired applications usually gets installed alongside free programs, codecs and shareware. Aside from causing redirects, the adware also can open a ton of pop up ads, slow down the machine and continually collect lots of user information.
fake Microsoft Tech Support
Technically, the ad-supported software is not a virus, but it does bad things, it generates tons of pop up advertisements. It may download and install on to your machine other malicious and unwanted software without your permission, force you to visit misleading or harmful web sites. Moreover, the ‘ad supported’ software can install internet browser hijacker. Once installed, it will change your browser setting such as startpage, new tab page and search engine by default with an annoying website.
The adware often alter all web-browser shortcuts which located on your Desktop to force you visit various intrusive ad web pages. As a result, your internet browser can still redirect you to an annoying ad page despite your machine is actually free of adware and other malicious software.
The tutorial below explaining steps to remove Microsoft Tech Support pop-up problem. Feel free to use it for removal of the adware that may attack Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Google Chrome and Firefox and other popular web-browsers. The step-by-step tutorial will help you delete ad supported software and thereby clean your web browser from all annoying ads.
Remove Microsoft Tech Support pop up scam
Most often ad supported software requires more than a simple uninstall through the use of Microsoft Windows Control panel in order to be fully removed. For that reason, our team made several removal methods which we have summarized in a detailed guide. Therefore, if you have the annoying Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts on your computer and are currently trying to have it removed then feel free to follow the step-by-step instructions below in order to resolve your problem. Read it once, after doing so, please print this page as you may need to close your browser or reboot your computer.
To remove Microsoft Tech Support, complete the following steps:
- How to manually delete Microsoft Tech Support
- Remove Microsoft Tech Support related applications through the Control Panel of your system
- Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks
- Fix infected internet browsers shortcuts to remove Microsoft Tech Support redirect
- Get rid of Microsoft Tech Support pop up scam from FF
- Remove Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts from Google Chrome
- Get rid of Microsoft Tech Support pop up warnings from IE
- Microsoft Tech Support popup warnings automatic removal
- Run AdBlocker to block Fake Microsoft Tech Support pop-up alerts
- How to avoid installation of Microsoft Tech Support pop up warnings
- To sum up
How to manually delete Microsoft Tech Support
Most common ad supported software may be removed without any antivirus applications. The manual adware removal is steps that will teach you how to delete the Microsoft Tech Support popup scam.
Remove Microsoft Tech Support related applications through the Control Panel of your system
The best way to start the computer cleanup is to remove unknown and questionable applications. Using the Windows Control Panel you can do this quickly and easily. This step, in spite of its simplicity, should not be ignored, because the removing of unneeded applications can clean up the MS Edge, Google Chrome, FF and Internet Explorer from pop ups, hijackers and so on.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, click Windows button
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter like below.
Once the ‘Control Panel’ opens, click the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category like below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel like below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of applications installed on your computer. Most probably, one of them is the ad supported software that shows misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop up on your computer. If you have many applications installed, you can help simplify the search of harmful applications by sort the list by date of installation. Once you have found a dubious, unwanted or unused program, right click to it, after that click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, press ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel as on the image below.
After the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as displayed in the figure below.
You will see a list of applications installed on your PC. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the programs that were installed last. Most probably, it is the ad-supported software that causes multiple misleading Microsoft Tech Support alerts and pop ups. If you are in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. After the program which you need to delete is found, simply press on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as shown in the following example.
Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks
If the annoying Microsoft Tech Support web page opens automatically on Windows startup or at equal time intervals, then you need to check the Task Scheduler Library and delete all tasks which have been created by adware.
Press Windows and R keys on the keyboard at the same time. This displays a dialog box that titled with Run. In the text field, type “taskschd.msc” (without the quotes) and press OK. Task Scheduler window opens. In the left-hand side, click “Task Scheduler Library”, as displayed on the screen below.
Task scheduler
In the middle part you will see a list of installed tasks. Please select the first task, its properties will be display just below automatically. Next, press the Actions tab. Pay attention to that it launches on your PC. Found something like “explorer.exe http://site.address” or “chrome.exe http://site.address”, then remove this malicious task. If you are not sure that executes the task, check it through a search engine. If it’s a component of the malicious apps, then this task also should be removed.
Having defined the task that you want to delete, then click on it with the right mouse button and select Delete as displayed below.
Delete a task
Repeat this step, if you have found a few tasks that have been created by malicious programs. Once is complete, close the Task Scheduler window.
Fix infected internet browsers shortcuts to remove Microsoft Tech Support redirect
Now you need to clean up the internet browser shortcut files. Check that the shortcut referring to the right exe-file of the web-browser, and not on any unknown file.
To clear the web-browser shortcut, right-click to it and select Properties. On the Shortcut tab, locate the Target field. Click inside, you will see a vertical line – arrow pointer, move it (using -> arrow key on your keyboard) to the right as possible. You will see a text such as “http://site.address” that has been added here. You need to delete it.
When the text is removed, click the OK button. You need to clean all shortcut files of all your web browsers, as they may be hijacked too.
Get rid of Microsoft Tech Support pop up scam from FF
If the FF web-browser program is hijacked, then resetting its settings can help. The Reset feature is available on all modern version of Mozilla Firefox. A reset can fix many issues by restoring Firefox settings like homepage, default search provider and newtab to its default state. It will save your personal information such as saved passwords, bookmarks, and open tabs.
First, run the FF and click 
button. It will show the drop-down menu on the right-part of the internet browser. Further, click the Help button (
) as shown on the screen below.
In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the web-browser adress bar and press Enter. It will display the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown on the image below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, click the “Refresh Firefox” button.
It will show the confirmation dialog box. Further, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The Mozilla Firefox will start a process to fix your problems that caused by the ad supported software which shows misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop up warnings on your system. Once, it is done, click the “Finish” button.
Remove Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts from Google Chrome
Like other modern internet browsers, the Chrome has the ability to reset the settings to their default values and thereby restore the browser’s settings like newtab, homepage and search engine that have been replaced by the ‘ad supported’ software which causes misleading Microsoft Tech Support popup warnings on your web-browser.
Open the Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (
). It will display the drop-down menu. Choose More Tools, then press Extensions.
Carefully browse through the list of installed extensions. If the list has the addon labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Google Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy otherwise, just go to the step below.
Open the Google Chrome main menu again, click to “Settings” option.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the Reset settings section is visible, as on the image below and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
Confirm your action, click the “Reset” button.
Get rid of Microsoft Tech Support pop up warnings from IE
In order to restore all web-browser homepage, default search provider and new tab page you need to reset the Internet Explorer to the state, that was when the Microsoft Windows was installed on your machine.
First, run the IE, click 
) button. Next, click “Internet Options” as shown on the screen below.
In the “Internet Options” screen select the Advanced tab. Next, press Reset button. The Internet Explorer will open the Reset Internet Explorer settings prompt. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box and click Reset button.
You will now need to restart your system for the changes to take effect. It will get rid of ad supported software which cause misleading Microsoft Tech Support popup scam to appear, disable malicious and ad-supported browser’s extensions and restore the Microsoft Internet Explorer’s settings such as search provider, newtab page and startpage to default state.
Microsoft Tech Support popup warnings automatic removal
If you are not expert at computer technology, then we recommend to run free removal utilities listed below to delete Microsoft Tech Support pop-up scam for good. The automatic method is highly recommended. It has less steps and easier to implement than the manual method. Moreover, it lower risk of system damage. So, the automatic Microsoft Tech Support removal is a better option.
How to automatically get rid of Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts with Zemana Anti-malware
Zemana Anti-malware is a utility which can remove adware, PUPs, browser hijackers and other malicious software from your system easily and for free. Zemana Anti-malware is compatible with most antivirus software. It works under Windows (10 – XP, 32 and 64 bit) and uses minimum of personal computer resources.
- Zemana can be downloaded from the following link. Save it to your Desktop.
Zemana AntiMalware
164032 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
- When downloading is finished, close all applications and windows on your computer. Open a file location. Double-click on the icon that’s named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.
- Further, press Next button and follow the prompts.
- Once install is complete, press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the adware that causes browsers to show misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop up scam. While the Zemana is checking, you can see number of objects it has identified either as being malicious software.
- After that process is finished, Zemana AntiMalware will open you the results. Review the scan results and then click “Next”. Once disinfection is complete, you can be prompted to reboot your machine.
Run HitmanPro to remove Microsoft Tech Support pop up from web browser
Hitman Pro frees your machine from browser hijacker infections, potentially unwanted apps, unwanted toolbars, internet browser plugins and other undesired software such as adware that created to show misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop-up within your web-browser. The free removal tool will help you enjoy your personal computer to its fullest. HitmanPro uses advanced behavioral detection technologies to find if there are undesired applications in your computer. You can review the scan results, and choose the items you want to erase.
- Visit the following page to download HitmanPro. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
- Once the downloading process is complete, double click the Hitman Pro icon. Once this tool is started, press “Next” button . HitmanPro utility will start scanning the whole machine to find out ad-supported software which displays misleading Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts on your personal computer. This procedure may take quite a while, so please be patient.
- Once HitmanPro completes the scan, HitmanPro will display a list of all threats found by the scan. All detected items will be marked. You can delete them all by simply press “Next” button. Now click the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial to remove all malware found.
Scan and free your machine of adware with Malwarebytes
You can remove Microsoft Tech Support pop-up scam automatically with a help of Malwarebytes Free. We suggest this free malware removal utility because it can easily remove hijacker infections, adware, PUPs and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.
- Installing the MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) is simple. First you will need to download MalwareBytes Anti Malware from the link below.
Malwarebytes Anti-malware
326384 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
- At the download page, click on the Download button. Your web-browser will show the “Save as” prompt. Please save it onto your Windows desktop.
- When downloading is complete, please close all software and open windows on your computer. Double-click on the icon that’s named mb3-setup.
- This will launch the “Setup wizard” of MalwareBytes Free onto your machine. Follow the prompts and don’t make any changes to default settings.
- When the Setup wizard has finished installing, the MalwareBytes Anti Malware will open and display the main window.
- Further, click the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the adware which made to show misleading Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts within your browser. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your system and the speed of your PC system. When a malware, ad-supported software or potentially unwanted applications are found, the count of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is done.
- After MalwareBytes Free completes the scan, a list of all items found is prepared.
- In order to remove all threats, simply press the “Quarantine Selected” button. When disinfection is complete, you may be prompted to reboot the PC.
- Close the Anti-Malware and continue with the next step.
Video instruction, which reveals in detail the steps above.
Run AdBlocker to block Fake Microsoft Tech Support pop-up alerts
Enabling an ad-blocker program such as AdGuard is an effective way to alleviate the risks. Additionally, ad blocker programs will also protect you from harmful advertisements and websites, and, of course, stop redirection chain to the Fake Microsoft Tech Support and similar websites.
- AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link. Save it on your Windows desktop or in any other place.
Adguard download
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- Once downloading is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- When the install is finished, click “Skip” to close the installation program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial which will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
- In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you start your computer, AdGuard will launch automatically and block pop up advertisements, Microsoft Tech Support redirect, as well as other harmful or misleading sites. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon called AdGuard, which is located on your desktop.
How to avoid installation of Microsoft Tech Support pop up warnings
The adware spreads bundled with various freeware, as a supplement, which is installed automatically. This is certainly not an honest way to get installed onto your personal computer. To avoid infecting of your computer and side effects in the form of undesired Microsoft Tech Support pop-ups, you should always carefully read the Terms of Use and the Software license. Additionally, always select Manual, Custom or Advanced installation method. This allows you to disable the setup of unnecessary and often harmful software. Even if you uninstall the freeware from your PC system, this ‘ad supported’ software will not be fully removed. This means that you should manually delete adware that causes browsers to show misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop up by follow the few simple steps above.
To sum up
Now your PC should be free of the adware which cause misleading Microsoft Tech Support pop-up to appear. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted popup advertisements and unwanted harmful web pages) and Zemana Anti Malware (to periodically scan your personal computer for new adwares and other malware). Probably you are running an older version of Java or Adobe Flash Player. This can be a security risk, so download and install the latest version right now.
If you are still having problems while trying to remove Microsoft Tech Support fake alerts from the Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge, then ask for help in our Spyware/Malware removal forum.
