The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam Removal Guide

Do you know what The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam is?

If “Notice from Microsoft Corporation” has shown up on your Desktop and it is impossible to close it, there is no doubt that you have encountered The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam. At first glance, the screen-locking window with a message might really seem to be genuine because the Microsoft Corporation is mentioned there, and this message has a Microsoft logo at the top. Our specialists can assure you that the window covering the screen is fake, and it has nothing to do with the Microsoft Corporation. Instead, it is a scam cyber criminals have developed to obtain money from users easily. Unfortunately, a number of users who have been exposed to The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam are ready to transfer the required amount of money to get their screens unlocked and their files decrypted (the fake message shown up for users informs them that their files have been encrypted too). Do not do that by any means because it is very likely that this fake “Notice from Microsoft Corporation” will be left on your Desktop because malicious software will definitely not be automatically removed from your PC after cyber criminals receive money. In other words, even if you pay, you might still not be allowed to use your PC normally, so it would be a smart decision to spend some time on getting rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam rather than making a payment.

The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam displays a window with a message for users on Desktop. Most probably, it does that after terminating the Windows Explorer. The fake message tries to convince a user that the computer has been locked due to illegal activities performed. More specifically, users are accused of performing the following activities:

  • Visiting harmful web pages and downloading malicious software from them
  • Distributing spam using Botnet
  • Distributing copyrighted contents via Torrent
  • Using an illegal copy of Windows

To scare people into paying the required money, the fake message informs users that all their files have been encrypted “as our government order.” Do not worry; the government and Microsoft Corporation have nothing to do with the window placed over your Desktop. Cyber criminals are the only ones that should be blamed for doing that. They lock users’ screens because they wish to get 0.5 Bitcoin (~ 520 USD) from them: “Your all files are locked. Pay 0.5 Bitcoins to our unique address to get back your files”. Even though it might seem that giving them what they want is the quickest way to get rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam, the truth is that nothing will change after transferring the required money, i.e. you could still not be allowed to use your PC until you delete the malicious software from the system. The last paragraph of this article will tell you more about its deletion, so continue reading!

The fake window locks users’ Desktops not without reason. There is no doubt that people allow a malicious application to enter their computers. Of course, they know nothing about that. They usually get exposed to The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam because they tend to download software from third parties and install malware by accident from these pages too. According to specialists, users’ screens might also be locked after clicking on some kind of malicious link or a pop-up. Generally speaking, there is some kind of security loophole on your PC if you have encountered The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam. To protect your PC and make sure that its screen is not locked by malware ever again, you should go to take care of the safety of your system right after getting rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam.

The removal of malicious software from your PC is the only way to unlock the screen. Therefore, users should take action as soon as possible. It should be possible to get rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam manually, but if you encounter difficulties that do not let you move forward, let an automatic malware remover to wipe out your PC for you. You could download it after booting into Safe Mode with Networking. For the time being, it is the easiest malware remover method.

Get rid of The Mssecteam Tech Support Scam

Boot into Safe Mode with Networking

Windows 7 or Vista

  1. Reboot your computer.
  2. Start tapping F8 in order to open the Advanced Boot Options menu.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking and tap Enter.

Windows XP

  1. Restart your computer.
  2. Start tapping F8.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking using arrow keys on your keyboard and tap Enter.
  4. Click YES.

Windows 8/8.1

  1. Click the Power button.
  2. Press the Shift key simultaneously and then click Restart.
  3. Select Troubleshoot.
  4. Go to Advanced options.
  5. Click Startup Settings.
  6. Click on the Restart button and press F5.

Windows 10

  1. Click on the Windows logo on the left.
  2. Click Power.
  3. Click Restart while holding the Shift key.
  4. Open Troubleshooting.
  5. Select Advanced options and click Startup Settings.
  6. Click on the Restart button.
  7. Press 5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

Delete malicious files

  1. Open the Windows Explorer after starting your Windows in Safe Mode with Networking.
  2. Check %USERPROFILE%\Desktop, %USERPROFILE%\Downloads, and %TEMP%.
  3. If you find a malicious file there, delete it.
  4. Reboot your PC normally.

In non-techie terms:

If you have not used an automatic malware remover to delete malicious software from your PC, dangerous components belonging to the tech-support scam you encountered might still be left active on your computer. Please, let an antimalware scanner check the computer for you. The diagnostic SpyHunter scanner can be downloaded from this website for free.