CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed is a tech support scam that generates intrusive pop-ups and uses Microsoft’s name to trick users into calling a specific phone number. The pop-ups could appear in full-screen mode and may also lock-up your browsers preventing you from using it properly.
The scareware approach used in the pop-ups is nothing new as it has been used in dozens of other scams. The only purpose of the CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed and similar attempts is to trick you into calling the provided number, +1 (833) 244-7113.
A tech support scammer will be expecting you on the other side of the line, and will likely do his best to convince you into giving remote access to your computer to fix the issues described in the pop-up message. Calling this number may compromise you in several ways. Your personal information and data could be stolen or damaged, malware can be planted on your system which could spy on your activities, etc. You could also be offered to buy a specific program, and you may need to reveal your payment and personal information.
So, what should you do if you have been affected by the CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed pop-ups? This article should help you.
Threat Summary
| Name | CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed |
| Type | Tech Support Scam |
| Short Description | A tech support scam that is trying to scare you that you have a legitimate alert generated by Microsoft about a virus found on your PC. You are provided with a phone number to a supposed Microsoft tech support team. |
| Symptoms | The message may lock your screen. Pop-up boxes, messages, and redirects appear in your browser. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed. |
CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed – Details
The full text used by this tech support scam is the following:
Windows Antivirus – Critical Alert
Alert: The page you tried to visit turns out to be infected and your computer is at risk.
It is possible that we disable your internet connection to prevent the spread of the virus on our network.
Disinfection of the computer is however possible: Call for Help
CRITICAL ALERT
Automatic disinfection failed.
From now on, only a Windows technician is able to intervene and prevent data loss.
CONTACT THE Windows SUPPORT TO: +1 (833) 244-7113 (Free and non-premium call)
Data loss can occur in 200 seconds if a Windows technician does not assist you in time.
As visible by the text, the scammers are using Microsoft’s reputation to trick you into calling a number. You should keep in mind that Microsoft does not display such messages and does not work with any technicians over the phone. Furthermore, Microsoft’s only anti-virus protection is called Windows Defender, and it does not generate such pop-ups.
The CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed scareware pop-ups are displayed with the sole purpose of making you believe that your computer is infected because you visited a website. However, establishing the nature of these pop-ups does not clarify the reasons behind their sudden appearance. So, why are you seeing the “CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed” pop-ups?
CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed – Distribution Technique
The spread of the “CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed” scam message could be done with the help of suspicious domains that load in your browser after a visit of another corrupted website. So, you truly may have visited a suspicious website, as claimed by the message, that triggered the scareware pop-ups. If you visited a suspicious website and clicked on an ad, your browsers settings may have been altered to displayed the annoying fake error pop-ups.
Another reason to see the CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed scam message in your browser is the presence of a potentially unwanted program on your computer. Such a program probably tricked you into allowing its installation during the configuration of another program. So, the PUP associated with the appearance of the CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed tech support scam may have landed on your system along the download of a freeware program. Free programs tend to have compromised installers that come bundled with ad-supported software.
Remove CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed Pop-Ups
Before actually getting to the point of removal of the unwanted software that may be causing the CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection pop-ups, you will need to close your browser first, which cannot be done conventionally. However, the following steps should help you:
Step 1: Press CTRL+ALT+DEL.
Step 2: Open Task Manager.
Step 3: Right-Click on Google Chrome (chrome.exe) and click on End Process. If this doesn’t work, right-click again and click on End Process Tree.
After you have done this, you should follow the removal instructions underneath and remove the unwanted program either manually or automatically. It is advisable to download and scan your computer, using an advanced anti-malware program if you want to secure it and keep it protected in the future. Such a program will fully remove any intrusive programs and malware that may currently be residing on your PC.
Milena Dimitrova
An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the project started. A professional with 10+ years of experience in creating engaging content. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim
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How to Remove CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed and related software from Windows
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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed (Windows).
Get rid of CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed. 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed, 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed (Mac)
Remove CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed will be removed.
Eliminate CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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".
CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed-FAQ
What Is CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed?
The CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed?
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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed?
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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed Work?
Once installed, CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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.
CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed 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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed?
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 CRITICAL ALERT – Automatic disinfection failed threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.