What Is “YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED”?
This article has been created in order to explain what is the “YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” scamming message and how to remove the software that might be causing it to appear effectively from Windows.
If you came across this web page, you are certainly wondering what is the intrusive and questionable “YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” scam that appears on your browser and has locked it. This message is not to be trusted as it belongs to a well-known Tech Support scam, believed to be originating from India. If you come across this message, you should not call the tech support number that is provided on it and take actions towards trying to find out what type of unwanted program on your PC might be causing it by using the information provided in this article.
“YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” Details
| Name | "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam |
| Type | Tech Support Scam |
| Short Description | May show fake tech support messages that claim your Windows is at risk by a specific error and you should immeidately call tech support to fix it. |
| Symptoms | Your browser is halted by a fake “YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” warning message that also includes a voice warning. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
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“YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” Scam – How Does It Spread?
There are two main methods by which these types of scamming messages may appear on victim PCs:
- You may have visited a low-reputation website or a compromised WordPress site that is causing browser redirects to the scamming web page.
- You may have installed a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program), like an adware or a browser hijacker that may be causing the advertisements to appear on your PC.
If you see other advertisements to such or other web pages on your PC, it is very likely that the second scenario has unfolded for you and your PC is compromised by an unwanted program. These types of programs are often slithered onto victims’ computers by being bundled to the installers of freeware apps. These types of freeware apps are often your favorite media player, web browser and other free third-party programs you may have downloaded from sites, you did not use before. Such third-party sites often slither PUPs, disguised as an “optional offer” in the installers of those programs and users often tend to skip those, because they fast-click their way through the installation process.
YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED” – Analysis
When you first encounter this scam, the following screen is what you will see:
The screen is accompanied by a pop-up which aims to tell you the following information:
YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED
Error #DT00X02
Call Microsoft Technical Support +1-844-750-6256 (Toll-Free):
Do Not Ignore This Important Warning
If you close this page without resolving issue, access to your computer will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network.
Your computer has alerted us that it was infected with virus and spyware. The following data is at risk:
1. Facebook Login
2. Credit Card Information
3. Email Credentials
4. Browsing History and Data
You must contact us immediately so our engineers can guide you though the recovery process by phone. Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent compete loss of your computer.
The pop-up is also accompanied by a voice message that threatens naive users that their computer will be shut down if they do not call the “tech support” in several minutes time. This message and the pop-up notification are NOT to be trusted.
Furthermore, simply closing the Tech Support Scam message may not be the solution for you to stop seeing such pop-ups, because the software that is causing them may still remain active on your PC. Such programs often display different types of advertisements that additionally expose your PC to other risks, like:
- Leaking of your personal information.
- Redirecting you to phishing or malicious web pages.
- Showing other tech support scam sites.
This is only one more reason to immediately take actions towards making sure that the unwanted software is gone from your PC permanently.
Remove YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED Scam from Windows
If you want to remove the scamming web page from your browser, then we recommend that you follow the removal instructions that are underneath this article. They are specifically created to help you remove the message or what is causing it from your web browsers. If however the message is caused by a PUP, then to find it, you will need to have more experience in removing malware. If you keep seeing such advertisements, then the fastest way to remove them is by downloading a powerful anti-malware software, as most experts suggest users to do. Such program will scan for and remove all traces of the program causing the YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED and other scamming pop-ups and ads on your PC and will also use it’s real-time shield to enable protection against such programs in the future too.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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How to Remove "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam (Windows).
Get rid of "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam (Mac)
Remove "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam will be removed.
Eliminate "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
"YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam-FAQ
What Is "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam?
The "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam Work?
Once installed, "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
"YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the "YOUR COMPUTER WAS LOCKED" Scam threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
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