How do i fix virus messages when Norton and McAfee report all clean

Paul Schwartz 0 Reputation points
2026-08-08T20:34:18.26+00:00

I clicked on a bad link to hobby lobby and got a virus. I have McAfee and Norton installed and both say my system is clean. My 'Download' folder is no longer accessible but everything else seems to be intact.

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Defender | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-08T20:34:35.1466667+00:00

    The symptoms match either malware effects or fake browser-based virus alerts.

    1. Run Microsoft Safety Scanner.
      • Download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner.
      • If possible, restart the PC and boot into Safe Mode first, then run a Quick Scan.
      • If malware is found, review the detailed results after the scan completes.
    2. Run the Malicious Software Removal Tool.
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Run: %windir%\system32\mrt.exe
      • Allow it to make changes if prompted, then follow the prompts to scan and clean the PC.
    3. Restart the PC and install the latest Windows updates.
      • This helps close known security issues after cleanup.
    4. Check whether the alerts are actually browser notifications.
      • If Norton and McAfee both report the system is clean, the pop-ups may be fake notifications from a website rather than an installed virus.
      • Check browser notification permissions and remove any unknown sites that are allowed to send notifications.
      • Also check browser extensions/add-ons and remove anything suspicious.
    5. If the Downloads folder is still inaccessible after scanning, malware may have made changes that were not fully reversed.
      • If a threat is only partially removed, additional cleanup steps may be required.
      • If malware caused irreversible changes, reset or reinstall Windows and restore files from a backup created before the infection. This can cause data loss, so back up needed files first.
    6. If the problem is not fixed after scanning and cleanup, contact Microsoft support for malware help.

    References:

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