Your computer has been locked to prevent damage (Scam)
Your computer has been locked to prevent damage
The Your computer has been locked to prevent damage Tech Support scam utilizes a fake error message that says ransomware has been detected and your computer. It lists various regions, contains an Error # 268D# (Unauthorized access) code, details compromised information (such as your Facebook login, credit card details, and email account), and provides other information. The purpose of the fake Your computer has been locked to prevent damage error message is to persuade victims to call a Tech Support phone number. The computer is not actually infected with ransomware if the error appears.
The Tech Support service will attempt to make a remote connection to the computer. They may ask a target to download and install a third-party application in order to gain access. The Tech Support service might download malware onto the computer or charge victims for the removal of nonexistent threats.
Most Tech Support scams will attempt to generate currency for fraudulent services. They may ask for a one-time fee to remove malware or for you to sign up for a subscription service. Once the credit information is received they may also make additional charges to the account.
The Your computer has been locked to prevent damage error message might appear for multiple reasons. Your computer could actually be infected with malware and the malware is causing the message or it could be generated by an advertising network or advertisement on a webpage you visited.
Websites that use advertising networks and advertisement that show the Your computer has been locked to prevent damage message are generally unsafe and should be avoided. They often display advertisements that promote malware, potentially unwanted programs, adware, and spyware.
How to remove Malware from your computer
The Malware removal steps on this page will remove Malware, viruses, malware, and other threats completely from your computer.
1. Open your browser window and download Malwarebytes 3.0 Premium or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free.
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2. Open the executable file (mb3-setup.exe) to begin installing Malwarebytes.
3. Select your language, click Next, then select “I accept the agreement,” click the Next button several times, and then click the Install button to install Malwarebytes. Click Finish once the install process is complete.
4. Open Malwarebytes and click the Scan Now button on the Dashboard to begin scanning your computer.
5. Click the Quarantine Selected button once the scan is finished.
6. If Malwarebytes says “All selected items have been removed successfully. A log file has been saved to the logs folder. Your computer needs to be restarted to complete the removal process. Would you like to restart now?” click the Yes button to restart your computer.
7. Open your browser window and download HitmanPro.
8. Open the executable file (hitmanpro_x64.exe or hitmanpro_x32.exe) to begin installing HitmanPro.
9. Click the Next button, check “I accept the terms of the license agreement,” and click the Next button again.
10. On the Setup page select “Yes, create a copy of HitmanPro so I can regularly scan this computer (recommended)” and add your email address to the registration fields to begin the free trial.
11. Click Next to begin scanning your computer.
12. Once the Scan results are displayed click the Next button and click the Next button again on the Removal results page.
13. Open your browser window and download CCleaner Professional or CCleaner Free.
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14. Open the executable file (ccsetup.exe or other) to begin installing CCleaner.
15. Click the Install button to begin stalling the program.
16. Click Run CCleaner to open the program when installation is complete.
17. Select the Cleaner tab and click the Analyze button.
18. When the Analyze process is complete click the Run Cleaner button to clean all files.
19. Next, select the Registry tab and click the Scan for Issues button to scan for issues in your registry.
20. When the scan is complete click the Fix selected Issues button and Fix All Selected Issues button to fix the issues.
21. Next, select the Tools tab and click Startup. Examine each area, search for suspicious entries, and delete any suspicious startup entries by selecting the entry and clicking the Delete button.
22. Next, click Browser Plugins and search each internet browser for unwanted browser add-ons and extensions. Click the extension you want to delete and click the Delete button to remove it.
Your computer should now be free of potentially unwanted programs, malware, and other threats. If you have any issues please leave a comment in the comment section below.