How do i get rid of popup false virus alerts in Windows 11?

Anonymous
2023-07-11T00:17:16+00:00

My system is clean of viruses and malware[ I have done many scans] but the false alerts continue on the right side of whatever windows is open. I tied to kill the browser process but the alert stays even on my desktop. Is there a way to stop notifications in Windows?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Security and privacy

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Anonymous
2024-02-13T17:34:39+00:00

Hi Cynthia,

I had the same problem yesterday, exact same as your screen shots. I did everything installing Malwarebytes etc and no software found anything. However trial and error suceeded! Really simple.

Go into your browser settings, I use EDGE, go to >>>>>Cookies and site permissions

                                                                                       Manage and delete cookies and site data

Top of page: Cookies and data stored

                     (***Manage and delete cookies and site data***)

Next down same page: Site permissions

                                          (**All sites**)

Next down same page: Recent activity

THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE!

The latest changes made to site permissions

You should see a list of recent sites, and you should open each one in turn and RESET Permissions, at th etop of the page, **** on each and every recent sites since they started popping up, I did them all.

No malware software worked at all for me and the moment I did this they all stopped immediately!

Really hope this helps as i know how frustrating it is.

Rob

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Rob Koch 26,160 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2024-02-13T18:29:46+00:00

Though Robert Reid has the general idea, the official method for dealing with these Microsoft Edge browser notifications is covered in the following Microsoft Support article.

Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Support

The reason these aren't detected as malware is because they aren't, they're simply browser notifications that you allowed by doing exactly that, clicking the 'Allow' button displayed on some web page, possibly not even named the same, that displayed as a popup while you were browsing in the past.

The other option for these more annoying advertisers is other not the obvious 'Block', but something you might not recognize like 'Maybe next time', 'Not right now', or other longer phrases that are also often displayed in light gray, which are difficult to see. So, pay attention when clicking any popup displayed, since they're often tricks by advertisers trying to get you to accept their less reputable garbage.

All major browsers like Edge and Chrome also have these, but the methods to manage them are different and so you'll need to look elsewhere for how to deal with them on 3rd-party browers.

Rob

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-25T23:09:00+00:00

    THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED.

    Thank you for this post. I'll admit, I wasn't up to any good, I was trying to convert a YouTube video to an MP3, so I could just borrow the sound as part of a sample for something else I am working on. I accidentally allowed these notifications while using Edge somehow. Each threatening that my PC was infected. I know it wasn't infected, and I am a pretty savvy user and built this PC myself, but every 1-2 seconds I would get these annoying notifications.

    When I built it, I also decided to go ahead and try Windows 11. So far the OS has been great TBH, but apparently, even without downloading anything malicious, and being smart, you can get these permissions enabled via Edge. It was probably disguised as a "Your download is ready" popup, but actually connected to setting site permissions, because Edge (Just like Chrome in all honesty) - requires you to click a button to agree to notifications from sites.

    ITS JUST BAIT - YOU ARE NOT INFECTED YET WITH ANYTHING

    I want to make that clear because it's easy for people to get flustered with these notifications, and that is exactly what they want you to do. All you have to do is follow @RobertReid78's advice:

    1. In Edge, open up the settings by clicking the 3 dots at the top right:

    1. Then search for "site permissions" at the top left:

    1. Lastly - for each of the oddballs you see in the recent list, click the ">" symbol to see their permissions and select the "Reset Permissions" button.

    Once you've done this - these malicious sites will no longer have the capabilities to annoy you.

    I hope this helps - thanks again to RobertReid78 for pointing this portion of Edge out to me as a new user of that browser, as well as a new user of windows 11.

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  2. Rob Koch 26,160 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-02-13T19:23:10+00:00

    Yes Rob, I've been in these forums since their inception and others at Microsoft since 2006, so I'm used to answering both highly technical and regular consumer user's questions, so I try to tailor them to the relevant audience.

    I hadn't thought about your method, but realized it could work, so just wanted to provide the focused answer that Microsoft itself provides.

    These notification popups and the ability to allow them are relatively new in the last few years, so many in a rush to clear them simply don't pay attention., which is why I choose to give a clear warning that they must pay attention, since malicious actors will always try to catch you when you're not in order to get you to do things you shouldn't.

    My past as a computing and security professional working or contracting for education, corporate and government customers of all sizes taught me that it's the people factor that's most often involved and the technology itself is typically incidental added confusion. That's why I've been involved with the Microsoft security products since their inception and also worked closely with the lead development product manager for the early versions of these products as a link to the forums.

    Rob

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  3. Ivan B 123.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-07-11T01:35:21+00:00

    Hi , Digiti124.

    I am Ivan, I will help you with this.

    Can you post a screenshot of the notification popup?

    Independent Advisor - Community

    Thanks

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