If your web browser is constantly being redirected to sites that display a “Error # 268D3-XC00037”notification, asking you to call a support number to fix it, then it is possible that you have adware program installed on your computer.

These “Error # 268D3-XC00037” alerts are nothing more a scam. Microsoft does not send unsolicited email messages or make unsolicited phone calls to request personal or financial information or fix your computer. Treat all unsolicited phone calls or pop-ups with skepticism. Do not provide any personal information.



The bogus “Error # 268D3-XC00037” alert is shown in such a way as to trick the user into thinking their computer has crashed or that a virus has been detected on the computer. It does this to try and scare the infected user into calling one of the listed numbers in order to receive support. In reality, though, they will only be greeted with people who are trying to sell them unneeded support contracts and services.
The “Error # 268D3-XC00037” pop-up will have this message:

https://support.microsoft.com says:
** YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN BLOCKED **
Error # 268D3-XC00037
Please call us immediately at
Do not ignore this critical alert.
If you close this page, your computer access will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network. Your computer has alerted us that it has been infected with a virus and spyware. The following information is being stolen…
> Facebook Login
> Credit Card Details
> Email Account Login
> Photos stored on this computer
You must contact us immediately so that our engineers can walk you through the removal process over the phone. Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer from being disabled. Toll. Prevent this page from creating additional dialogues.

The scammer will typically attempt to get the victim to allow remote access to their computer. After remote access is gained, the scammer relies on confidence tricks typically involving utilities built into Windows and other software in order to gain the victim’s trust to pay for the supposed “support” services, when the scammer actually steals the victim’s credit card account information.

How to remove “Error # 268D3-XC00037” Adware (Virus Removal Guide)

This malware removal guide may appear overwhelming due to the amount of the steps and numerous programs that are being used. We have only written it this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy to understand instructions that anyone can use to remove malware for free.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.

STEP 1: Reset your browser to default settings

This step is needed if the  “Error # 268D3-XC00037”  pop-ups will not allow you to close your browser or page.

1. Open the Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and then clicking Start Task Manager. Alternatively to start the Windows Task Manager, you can press Ctrl+Alt+Del and click on Task Manager or simply press on Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

 Scroll through the list till you see your web browser’s process and left-click on it once so it becomes highlighted. Once you have selected the browser’s process, click on the End Task button as show in the picture below.



Your browser window should now be closed. The next time you open your browser, do not allow the browser to open the last opened page.

STEP 1: Reset your browser to default settings

If you are still experiencing issues with the “Error # 268D3-XC00037” pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings.
This step should be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome has an option that will reset itself to its default settings. Resetting your browser settings will reset the unwanted changes caused by installing other programs. However, your saved bookmarks and passwords will not be cleared or changed.

Click on Chrome’s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines. When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled Settings.
Chrome’s Settings should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Advanced link (as seen in the below example).

Chrome’s advanced Settings should now be displayed. Scroll down until the Reset browser settingssection is visible, as shown in the example below. Next, click on the Reset settings button.

A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue on with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the Reset button
 Internet Explorer

You can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your PC.

pen Internet Explorer, click on the “gear icon”  in the upper right part of your browser, then click again on Internet Options.

In the “Internet Options” dialog box, click on the “Advanced” tab, then click on the “Reset” button.

In the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” section, select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click on “Reset” button.

When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the “Close” button in the confirmation dialogue box. You will now  need to close your browser, and then you can open Internet Explorer again.

Mozilla Firefox

If you’re having problems with Firefox, resetting it can help. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history and open tabs.

In the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, click the Firefox menu button (), then click on the “Help” () button.

From the Help menu, choose Troubleshooting Information.
If you’re unable to access the Help menu, type аbout:support in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting information page.

Click the “Refresh Firefox” button in the upper-right corner of the “Troubleshooting Information” page.

To continue, click on the “Refresh Firefox” button in the new confirmation window that opens.
Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the “Finish“.

Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named “Old Firefox Data“. If the reset didn’t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don’t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.

News article is edited by: yakura - 18-04-2018, 16:46