By Leighton at Bytova · Updated 25 October 2026
Pause the demand
Do not call a number, pay or grant remote access because a browser message tells you to. A warning on a web page does not establish that the computer is infected. Microsoft says its error messages do not include support phone numbers; scammers can copy familiar branding and make a page look like a system warning.
Close the browser window
Use the browser window's own controls rather than a button inside the warning. On Windows, Alt + F4 can close the active window if the mouse controls are difficult to use. You may lose unsaved form text. Closing the page stops that display; it does not prove the device is clean or undo anything already shared.
Check through software you already trust
Open Windows Security from the Start menu instead of a link in the warning. Microsoft's guidance includes running a full scan and applying available security updates. Keep to the operating system's own update controls and official support instructions; do not install a cleaner advertised by the pop-up.
If you already called, paid or allowed access
Stop the conversation and seek appropriate help through contact details you already trust. Explain whether you installed software, shared account information, allowed remote control or made a payment. Microsoft provides recovery guidance for people who have engaged with a scammer, including contacting the card provider about a payment. A closed warning is not a completed recovery.
Email before arranging an appointment
Describe the message in words and say what you did next, without sending passwords, recovery keys or sign-in codes. Email Bytova before booking if fraud, account compromise or an active incident may be involved. Its routine remote appointments do not provide incident response, forensic investigation, account-ownership bypass or data recovery. If this is a work-managed device, use your organisation's agreed IT reporting route.