my surface Book 3 is havinfg issues with am lot of pop ups and all kinds of files opening and creating a mess . I need to get some help cleaning up my lap tops.

Follow these steps on the Surface Book 3 to reduce pop-ups, strange files, and clean up the device.

1. Close scam or fake security pop-ups

• If the screen is “locked” by a fake Windows Defender or support alert:
  • Press Ctrl + Alt + Del.
  • Select Task Manager.
  • In Processes, find the web browser (for example, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox).
  • Select each browser process and choose End task until the browser closes.
  • If that doesn’t work, press Alt + F4 repeatedly to close the browser window, or hold the power button until the Surface turns off, then turn it back on.

2. Clear the browser cache and history After closing the bad page:

• Reopen the browser.
• Clear browsing history, cookies, and cached files so the malicious page does not reload from history.
• Then avoid revisiting the same site or link that triggered the pop-ups.

3. Block pop-ups and intrusive ads in the browser Use the browser’s settings to reduce pop-ups and redirects. For example (Chrome/Edge style):

• Open the browser Settings.
• Go to Privacy and security → Site settings.
• Set Pop-ups and redirects to Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.
• In Ads, choose to block intrusive or misleading ads.

4. Remove suspicious extensions

• In the browser, open Settings → Extensions.
• Remove any extension that is unfamiliar, not needed, or that appeared around the time the problems started.
• Restart the browser.

5. Run a full malware scan with Windows Security

• Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection.
• Select Scan options.
• Choose Full scan and run it.
• Follow any actions recommended by Windows Security.

6. Use Microsoft’s safety scanner (optional extra check)

• Use the Microsoft safety scanner described in the moderator answer to perform an additional malware check.

7. Disable unnecessary startup apps Too many startup apps can cause a “messy” experience and slowdowns.

• Open Startup settings (for example, via Settings → Apps → Startup, or using the Startup settings link if available: Open Startup settings).
• Turn off apps that are not needed at startup.

8. Free up drive space and remove junk files

• Open Storage settings (for example, via Settings → System → Storage, or using the Storage settings link: Open Storage settings).
• Use the options there to delete temporary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove other unnecessary files.
• For more detailed steps, see Free up drive space in Windows.

9. Install an ad blocker extension To reduce malicious ads that cause fake alerts and pop-ups:

• Install a reputable ad blocker extension (such as uBlock Origin or similar) from the official browser extension store.
• Enable it in the browser.

10. Recognize and avoid tech support scams

• Microsoft does not lock the computer and display a phone number to call.
• Do not call any number shown in a pop-up or allow remote access to the device.
• If a page claims to be from Microsoft and asks to call a number, close the browser using Task Manager as described above.

If Windows continues to freeze or behave strangely even after these steps, check for Surface updates and driver/firmware health using the Surface app, and install any available updates.

References:

• Windows doesn't respond or stops working on Surface
• Surface Book help & learning
• possible virus, computer locked - Microsoft Q&A
• Disabled computer - Microsoft Q&A
• Windows defender scam - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Defender Scam or Do I have a virus on my computer - Microsoft Q&A
• I WAS HACKED - Microsoft Q&A