Your computer has been locked “Virus” Removal

Remove “Your computer has been locked” pop-up “Virus” from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer, in just a few easy steps with our removal guide which works with all versions of Windows

Strange changes in your system may be an indication of some malicious or potentially unwanted activity. In case you have noticed some replacements that have taken place on your default browser (be it Chrome, Firefox, or other) and some new unfamiliar homepage and search engine that may be redirecting your searches, this may be a sign that a browser hijacker is present on your machine. On this page we are going to talk about one particular representative, which is called “Your computer has been locked” and is reported as the source of some severe browsing related disturbance among the online users. In the next lines we will cover how dangerous this program can be, why you got invaded by it and, of course, how to remove it. Stay with us until the end, where you will find a detailed removal guide with all the steps you need to take in order to eliminate the source of your browser disturbance completely, as well as to learn how to prevent it in the future.

“Your computer has been locked” – a common source of browsing related annoyance

“Your computer has been locked” is a common browser hijacker, famous for the annoyance it may cause. Once it hijacks your browser, it may place another homepage and change your search engine with some unfamiliar one. All this is usually done with the sole aim to redirect you to dozens of ads, pop-ups, banners and promotional web pages. This piece of software normally serves the needs of the online marketing industry and is programmed to display a flow of paid advertisements. Its creators use it as a tool to earn from the clicks of the ads displayed, thanks to the infamous Pay-Per-Click method. This is a well-known business model, where with the help of the browser hijacker, the affected users are exposed to dozens of intrusive advertisements and prompted to click on them, while the hijacker developers gain profits from these clicks. It is arguably how disturbing this method is, but since it is not considered as illegal, many online businesses use it. The users, however, may not feel comfortable when flooded with annoying advertisements, especially when their browser settings are replaces and their searches get redirected to different web locations. That’s why some of them may actively seek for ways to remove “Your computer has been locked” and save themselves from the hijacker invasion.

Can “Your computer has been locked” be called a “virus”?

The browser hijacker intrusive activity and changes may surely cause some disturbance and browsing interruptions, but fortunately, this is nothing malicious or destructive for your system. “Your computer has been locked” is not a virus, and it is considered as pretty harmless compared to harmful threats such as Trojans, Ransomware, Spyware and others. Some users may get panicked at first, when they see the homepage replacements and search redirects, but to their comfort we will say that security experts do not consider browser hijackers as a threat to the users’ system. Such programs do not contain harmful scripts and do not attempt to damage your files or encrypt them the way that a Ransomware cryptovirus would do, for example. That’s why there is no need to stress about your security.

However, there are some potentially unwanted activities, which may make your mind to uninstall the browser hijacker. If you feel that your normal browsing has been heavily disturbed, this could be one of the reasons. Another one could be the data tracking activity that “Your computer has been locked” may use – it may monitor your web searches, the history of your browsing, the pages you like and share, the bookmarks you keep… All this is done with the idea to collect traffic data about your preferences and match its sponsored ads accordingly. Something else that doesn’t happen very often but still may pose a risk for your security is that the pop-ups and the pages where the browser hijacker may redirect you may hide some malware or viruses. That’s why it is best if you avoid clicking on the randomly generated messages and sites, or better, uninstall the program that is constantly generating them on your screen. This can easily be done with the help of the removal guide below.

One last advice to keep such annoying software away from your PC in the future is to always pay attention what programs you install on your computer. Browser hijackers are usually bundled with some other attractive apps or software. That’s why, you are advised to always select the advanced/custom option when installing a given setup because this is how you can always have control over the software you are installing and all of the possible bundles that may come with it.

Delete “Your computer has been locked” Virus

Safe Mode and Hidden files and folders

Before you begin the removal you have to enter Safe mode on your PC. If you don’t know how to that that we’ve provided our own guide for your cnvinience.

Next Reveal Hidden File and Folders. Again, check our guide if you need any help.

Uninstalling suspicious programs

 This is probably one of the most important steps so make sure you are thorough with it. Open your Start Menu and in the search field type Control Panel. Open the first search result and go to Uninstall a Program. Carefully look through the resulting list for any installs that you do not recognize and/or that seem suspicious. If you find any, select them and click on Uninstall.

Disable suspicious startup programs

 Next – once again go to your Start Menu and type System Configuration in the search field. Open the first result and go to the Startup section. Again, look for any suspicious programs and if anything seems out of place or is from an unknown manufacturer, disable it and click OK.

Check your DNS

 For this one, you’ll have to access your Network Connections. If you are a Windows 7 user, go to your Control Panel and in the search field (top-right) type adapter. Then, under Network Sharing Center, click on Network Connections. If you are on Win 10, simply type Network Connections in the search field next to the Start Menu button and hit Enter.

 Next, right click on the icon of the adapter that you are currently using and select Properties. There is a list from which you must click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP) and then select Properties. If the DNS is not set to Obtain DNS server automatically, make sure you set it that way.

 After that, go to Advanced and then to the section labeled DNS. If there is anything in the DNS servers addresses field, make sure you remove and press OK.

Clean your browsers

1. First, right click on your browser icon and select Properties. Go to the Shortcut section and delete anything written after .exe in the Target
2. This step varies depending upon what browser you are using
   1. For Chrome: Open your browser and open the menu in the top-right corner. Select Settings. Then, select Extensions (top-left). Remove any questionable and suspicious-looking extensions. Also, we suggest to go back to Settings, access the Advanced Settings at the bottom of the page and us Clear browsing data to make sure nothing is left of the unwanted software.
   2. For Firefox: Open the browser and access its main menu (top-right corner). Go to Add-ons > Extensions and remove everything that looks shady and unwanted.
   3. For IE: Click on the settings icon and select Manage Add-ons. In the resulting list, eliminate anything that you think might be related to the problematic software.

Remove suspicious processes

Now, open your Task Manager (R-Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and go to the Processes tab. Look carefully through the list and find the unwanted program’s process. Right-click on it and open its directory. Delete everything in there and then go back to the process it self and end it.

That’s it! “Your computer has been locked” should no longer be present on your PC. If you need any more help or have questions of any kind feel free to contact us in the comment section below!