Forum Discussion

Leroy95's avatar
Leroy95
Brass Contributor
Apr 03, 2026

MIL who lives in another state sent me this screen cap several hours ago - how bad is it?

Says she clicked on a Gmail shortcut, which I created on her desktop months ago only because she's prone to typing in or clicking on the wrong URL, she says that's all she did then BAM the mouse locked up, screen littered with over 20 popups, and a "Your computer is infected, call Microsoft Tech support at 855-337-6815" recording started running in loops.

2 Replies

  • AdamRobinson's avatar
    AdamRobinson
    Bronze Contributor

    Disconnect from the network, force shutdown, then boot into Safe Mode and run a full scan with Windows Defender to remove any malware.

  • Azraelen's avatar
    Azraelen
    Brass Contributor

    Restart the computer in Safe Mode to prevent the malware from loading. To do this, restart the computer and press the F8 key repeatedly before the Windows logo appears. Select "Safe Mode" from the menu.