SUSPICIOUS POP UP KEEPS POPPING UP

Block and remove the conitaintly.co.in website permission in your browser, then run Microsoft Defender scans to check that the laptop is safe.

Do not click the alert, call any number it displays, download anything, or grant remote access.

Remove the recurring alert

First identify how it appears:

• Lower-right corner of the desktop, possibly even when Edge is closed: it is probably a website notification.
• Inside a browser tab or a new browser window: it is a browser pop-up.

If it is an Edge website notification

Website notifications can continue appearing when Edge is closed.^1^

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Select ⋯ (Settings and more) → Settings.
3. Go to Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions → All sites.
4. Select conitaintly.co.in, or any unfamiliar site associated with the alert.
5. Set Notifications to Block.
6. Remove or reset any other permissions granted to that site.

Do not open the suspicious website to change this setting.

If it opens in a browser tab or window

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select the affected browser and choose End task. Do not interact with the pop-up.
3. Reopen Edge without restoring the suspicious tab.
4. Open ⋯ → Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions → Pop-ups and redirects.
5. Turn on Blocked (recommended).^2^
6. Open Extensions from the Edge menu and remove any extension you do not recognize.
7. Clear browsing history, cookies, and cached files from the period when the alerts began. This may sign you out of websites.

If you use Chrome instead, open ⋮ → Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings, then review Notifications, Pop-ups and redirects, and recently granted site permissions.

Check the laptop for threats

A pop-up alone does not prove that Windows is infected, but constant unexpected pop-ups can be a malware symptom.^3^

1. Open Start → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection.
2. Install any available Protection updates.
3. Select Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
4. After it finishes, save all open work.
5. Return to Scan options, select Microsoft Defender Offline scan, and choose Scan now.

The offline scan restarts the computer and scans outside normal Windows, which can detect threats that hide while Windows is running.^4^

Also install pending updates under Settings → Windows Update and update the browser.

If you clicked, downloaded, or granted access

Take these additional steps only if applicable:

• Downloaded or installed something: open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, sort by installation date, and uninstall unfamiliar software installed when the alerts began. Microsoft recommends removing unneeded software and performing full and offline Defender scans.^5^
• Allowed someone to control the laptop: disconnect Wi-Fi, remove unfamiliar remote-access software such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer, and complete the Defender Offline scan.
• Entered a password or payment information: from a different trusted device, change the affected password and any reused passwords, enable multifactor authentication, and contact the bank or card provider if financial details were supplied.

If the alert still returns after its site permission is blocked and the browser is cleaned, note whether it appears inside the browser or as a Windows notification and capture a screenshot with Windows+Shift+S, excluding personal information.

References

1. Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
2. Block pop-ups in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
3. Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses | Microsoft Support
4. Troubleshoot problems with detecting and removing malware | Microsoft Support
5. Protect your PC from unwanted software | Microsoft Support