When the screen fills with warnings, it's easy to panic and do the wrong thing. Most of the time it's one of three things — and they are not equally serious.
The fake "you're infected" warning
A full-screen alert, often with a loud beep and a number to "call Microsoft." This is the scam, not a real infection. Microsoft does not put a phone number on your screen. Never call it, and never let someone you didn't contact take remote control. Close the browser (Task Manager → End task if it won't close) and don't enter anything.
Adware
Browser redirects, a new toolbar or homepage you didn't set, pop-ups outside the browser, "deals" injected into pages. This is unwanted software, usually picked up with a free download. Annoying and sometimes nosy about your browsing, but not as dangerous as real malware — and very cleanable.
Actual malware
The quieter, more serious stuff: a machine that's suddenly slow, files you can't open or that got encrypted, accounts getting logged into, contacts getting spam from you. This is the kind worth taking seriously and fast.
What to do right now
Don't call any number on a pop-up. Close the browser, run a full Windows Defender scan, and uninstall anything you don't recognize from recently. If you think accounts were touched, change those passwords from a different device. Our what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-a-virus guide walks the full process.
When it keeps coming back
If pop-ups return after you clean them, something is still embedded — a scheduled task, a browser extension, or a deeper infection. That's what a proper malware cleanup is for: we get all of it out and confirm the machine is actually clean, not just quiet for a day.
Pop-ups that keep coming back? We’ll clear it for good.
We're based in Dawsonville and fix computers for people across North Georgia — Alpharetta, Cumming, and beyond — plus remote help anywhere. Our diagnostic is a flat $24.99, credited toward the repair if we fix it, and you don't pay if we can't. Call (706) 203-2563 or start a repair request.