Critical System Failure is a message box that pops up like an error alert. Know that the alert is a fake and points to a tech support scam. The 855-616-6772 phone number is used for contacting the scammers. Another name for the message is “Compromised Windows Security.” People running the scheme could call you themselves. You could have got the fake messages from a software placed on your PC. That software could have ended up on your computer from another program, or a website could have injected it. You should read the article to the end and find out how you can stop the fake alerts.

Threat Summary

Name	Critical System Failure
Type	Tech Support Scam
Short Description	The tech support scam is built upon scare tactics and tries to make you to call the phone number. It wants you to believe that your computer has issues.
Symptoms	Pop-up boxes will constantly appear and show fake critical alerts that look like they are from the Windows OS. A phone number is provided to fix the supposed problem.
Distribution Method	Freeware Installers, Suspicious Sites, Browser Redirects
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Critical System Failure Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Critical System Failure.

Critical System Failure – Distribution Methods

This tech support scam has more distribution methods. One of the common methods to get the scam on your system is if you are browsing suspicious websites that you do not know. In this way, the files associated with the scam get injected onto your personal computer. Advertisements and redirects which are connected to suspicious websites can land you a PUP (potentially unwanted program) that spams messages of the scam. You will see the 855-616-6772 number in every related message.

The undesirable software which causes the 855-616-6772 phone number to appear on your computer with a fake Critical System Failure message can come with third-party installers. Freeware and bundled programs often contain such packages. The installer packages could have been configured to add extra components with the default installation. If you want to prevent the setup from installing them, you should search for an Advanced or Custom settings menu, so you can deselect the extra content.

Critical System Failure – Details

Critical System Failure is a message box that pops up like an error alert. In actuality, this is a technical support scam, and its purpose is to try and trick people into calling a provided phone number. It is also known as Compromised Windows Security. The 855-616-6772 phone number is used as a contact for the cyber crooks behind this scam.

Lots of users continue to fall, victim of such scams, despite that they are obvious in the eyes of tech savvy people. Also, the logo used for the scam in the fake alert message is depicted as a shield with Microsoft’s logo, instead of a red shield with an “X” inside it or a yellow triangle.

You can view the fake pop-up message in the picture below:

That message is not excluded from opening up inside a browser application and lock the page. The current message box that pops up on your Windows desktop is not reported to lock the screen, although it might appear on top of other windows. The Critical System Failure fake alert is blunt and just wants you to call the 855-616-6772 phone number and fix the supposed critical error on your computer machine.

The pop-up message reads the following:

Critical System Failure
Compromised Website Security
Please Call Technical Support 855-616-6772
Computer ID: 3257-6989
Response Code:

As Critical System Failure is giving you very small detail about the problem, this might look less obvious of a scam if you are not aware that Microsoft does not have a telephone support line. As there is no specific error given, no lock-screen and no voice speaking that there is a problem, some people may be more inclined to believe that the scam is a real thing.

In case you find yourself seeing pop-up windows showing the Critical System Failure error message or you have received a telephone call from the cybercriminals, you might be asked to do certain things. The two things which the con artists usually ask is not to tamper with the message and to provide them with your personal information. They might say something about whether the Windows system you are using is licensed, and to give them information but you to confirm it.

Do NOT provide any information and especially do not call the phone number in the first place. If there was a Critical System Failure, your PC wouldn’t even turn on and show an interface, but you would read that message on a Blue Screen. Aside from that, even a short call can cost you a small fortune.

Cyber crooks will look for ways to stall and if they do not gather information from you to at least gain money from the call’s impulses. They will lie to you that they are certified Microsoft employees or well-renowned partners of the company. Any information they can extract from you might be sold on the black market, and in some cases that can lead to identity theft.

Websites connected to the fraudulent telephone number might exist, trying to mimic Microsoft’s official website, too.

Remove Critical System Failure

To remove the Critical System Failure pop-ups also known with the 855-616-6772 number manually from your PC, follow the step-by-step removal instructions given below. If the manual removal does not get rid of the scam and pop-ups effectively, you should search for and remove any leftover items with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such software will keep your system secure in the future.

Manually delete Critical System Failure from Windows and your browser

Note! Substantial notification about the Critical System Failure threat: Manual removal of Critical System Failure requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.

1. Remove or Uninstall Critical System Failure in Windows

Remove or Uninstall Critical System Failure in Windows.

Step 1: Remove/Uninstall Critical System Failure in Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps to remove that program. No matter if you are using Windows 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes 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:

Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).

In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).

This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC.
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall Critical System Failure.

2. Remove Critical System Failure from Your Browser and Your Registry Editor

Remove Critical System Failure from Your Browser.

Remove a toolbar from Mozilla FirefoxRemove a toolbar from Google Chrome Remove a toolbar from Internet Explorer Remove a toolbar from Safari Fix registry entries created by Critical System Failure on your PC.

Start Mozilla Firefox Open the menu window

Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu

Select Critical System Failure and click “Remove”

After Critical System Failure is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

Start Google Chrome and Open the drop menu

Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“

From the opened “Extensions” menu locate Critical System Failure and click on the garbage bin icon on the right of it.

After Critical System Failure is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.

Start Internet Explorer:

Click “‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’

In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window, make sure that in the first window ‘Add-on Types’, the drop menu ‘Show’ is on ‘All add-ons’

Select Critical System Failure to remove, and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected toolbar, and some additional toolbars might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.

After Critical System Failure has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ in the top right corner and start it again.

Start Safari

Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.

From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on Critical System Failure
Click ‘Uninstall’

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall Critical System Failure. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the Critical System Failure will be removed.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries of your computer to change different settings. This is why manual clean up of your Windows Registry Database is strongly recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit lenghty, we recommend following our instructive article about fixing registry entries.

Automatically remove Critical System Failure by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove Critical System Failure with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove Critical System Failure with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Critical System Failure.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Critical System Failure. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by Critical System Failure in the future.

Step 1:Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is highly recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Critical System Failure files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove Critical System Failure Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove Critical System Failure.
Step 1: Download STOPZilla by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.

Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.

2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all Critical System Failure associated files completely.
Step 1: Launch STOPZilla if you haven’t launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.

Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.

Berta Bilbao

Berta is the Editor-in-Chief of SensorsTechForum. She is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space.

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