Remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-up scam (Guide)

The “System Activation KEY Has Expired” page is a browser-based scam that displays fake error messages to trick you into calling a Tech Support Scam phone number.

What is “System Activation KEY Has Expired”?

The “System Activation KEY Has Expired” fake error message is a scam that pretends to be from Microsoft to trick you into thinking that your computer has crashed or that a virus has been detected. It does this to try and scare you into calling one of the listed numbers in order to receive support. If you call these scammers, they will offer fake solutions for your “problems” and ask for payment in the form of a one-time fee or subscription to a purported support service.

The “System Activation KEY Has Expired” page will display this alert:

support.Microsoft.com says:
** Microsoft Warning Alert **
Malicious Pornography Spyware/Riskware Detected
Error # 0x80092ee9
Please call us immediately System Activation KEY Has Expired
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 Pornographic
Spyware and riskware. The following information is being stolen…

Your computer has been Locked
Your computer with the IP address [removed] has been infected by the Trojans — Because System Activation KEY has expired & Your information (for example, passwords, messages, and credit cards) have been stolen. Call Microsoft [removed] to protect your files and identity from further damage.

As you can imagine, the above alert is not real and its purpose is to scare you into allowing the scammer remote access to your 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.

These “System Activation KEY Has Expired” alerts are nothing more than a scam. Don’t call the number in the pop-ups. Microsoft’s error and warning messages never include a phone number.
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.

Why am I seeing the “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-up ads?

You are seeing the “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-up ads because you are either infected with adware or another web site is redirecting you to them.

This guide was written to help users remove malware from their devices, so if you’re just looking for a way to block the “System Activation KEY Has Expired” redirect on a specific site, you can use a free browser extension like Adblock.

When it comes to adware, these malicious programs are bundled with other free software that you download off of the Internet. Unfortunately, some free downloads do not adequately disclose that other software will also be installed and you may find that you have installed adware without your knowledge.
Here are a few typical signs that you have adware on your system:

• Advertisements appear in places they shouldn’t be.
• Your web browser’s homepage has mysteriously changed without your permission.
• Web pages that you typically visit are not displaying properly.
• Website links redirect to sites different from what you expected.
• Browser popups appear which recommend fake updates or other software.
• Other unwanted programs might get installed without your knowledge.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

To check your computer for adware and remove it for free, please use the guide below.

How to remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” (Virus Removal Guide)

• STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious programs from Windows
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes Free to remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” adware
• STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to scan for malware and unwanted programs
• STEP 4: Double-check for malicious programs with AdwCleaner
• STEP 5: Reset the browser settings to remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-ups

STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious programs from Windows

In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.

1. Go to “Programs and Features”.

   Windows 10

   1. On the Start menu, type Control Panel in the search box and select “Control Panel” from the results.
      
   2. When the “Control Panel” window opens click on the “Uninstall a program” option under the “Programs” category.
      

   Windows 8

   Right-click on the Start button in the lower-left corner and select “Programs and Features”. This will take you directly to your list of installed programs.

   

   • If you can’t find the Programs and Features in the Start menu, type “programs and features” into the search bar at the bottom of the Start window, then click the “Programs and Features” result.
   • If you don’t have a Start button, you are likely running Windows 8 instead of Windows 8.1. Press the Windows key + X to open the menu instead and select “Programs and Features”.

   Windows 7

   1. Click on Start, then select “Control Panel”.Start by clicking on the Start button, then click on “Control Panel”.
      
      If you don’t see “Control Panel” here, type control panel into the search bar at the bottom of the Start window, then click the “Control Panel” result.
   2. When the “Control Panel” appears, click on “Uninstall a Program” from the Programs category.
      

2. Find the malicious program and uninstall it.

   The “Programs and Features” screen will be displayed with a list of all the programs installed on your PC. Scroll through the list until you find the malicious program, then click to highlight it, then click the “Uninstall” button that appears on the top toolbar.

   Look out for any suspicious program that could be behind all the drama – anything you don’t remember downloading or that doesn’t sound like a genuine program.Here are some known malicious programs: PDFPoof, BatBitRst, MessengerNow, SearchAd, MyPrintableCoupons, Reading Cursors, ProMediaConverter, PDFOnline-express, See Scenic Elf, Clickware, Easy Speedtest, or WebDiscover.

   The malicious program may have a different name on your computer. If you cannot find any malicious programs on your computer, you can continue with STEP 2.
   

   

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall the program.

   In the next message box, confirm the uninstall process by clicking on Yes, then follow the prompts to uninstall the program.

   Make sure to read all of the prompts carefully, because some malicious programs try to sneak things in hoping that you won’t read closely.

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes Free to remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” adware

Malwarebytes Free is one of the most popular and most used anti-malware software for Windows, and for good reasons. It is able to destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss, without costing you absolutely nothing. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Free will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

1. Download Malwarebytes Free.

   You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.

   MALWAREBYTES DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)

2. Double-click on the Malwarebytes setup file.

   When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the MBSetup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

   
   You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow Malwarebytes to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the Malwarebytes installation.
   

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.

   When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes setup wizard which will guide you through the installation process. The Malwarebytes installer will first ask you on what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
   

   On the next screen, click “Install” to install Malwarebytes on your computer.
   

   When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.

4. Select “Use Malwarebytes Free”.

   After installing Malwarebytes, you’ll be prompted to select between the Free and the Premium version. The Malwarebytes Premium edition includes preventative tools like real-time scanning and ransomware protection, however, we will use the Free version to clean up the computer.
   Click on “Use Malwarebytes Free“.
   

5. Click on “Scan”.

   To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
   

6. Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.

   Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

7. Click on “Quarantine”.

   When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
   

8. Restart computer.

   Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
   
   When the malware removal process is complete, you can close Malwarebytes and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to scan for malware and unwanted programs

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner that takes a unique cloud-based approach to malware scanning. HitmanPro scans the behavior of active files and also files in locations where malware normally resides for suspicious activity. If it finds a suspicious file that’s not already known, HitmanPro sends it to their clouds to be scanned by two of the best antivirus engines today, which are Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Although HitmanPro is shareware and costs $24.95 for 1 year on 1 PC, there is actually no limit in scanning. The limitation only kicks in when there is a need to remove or quarantine detected malware by HitmanPro on your system and by then, you can activate the one time 30-days trial to enable the cleanup.

1. Download HitmanPro.

   You can download HitmanPro by clicking the link below.

   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)

2. Install HitmanPro.

   When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on “hitmanpro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows) to install this program on your PC. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   
   You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   

3. Follow the on-screen prompts.

   When HitmanPro starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Click on the “Next” button to perform a system scan.

   

   

4. Wait for the HitmanPro scan to complete.

   HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malicious programs. This process will take a few minutes.
   

5. Click on “Next”.

   When HitmanPro has finished the scan, it will display a list of all the malware that the program has found. Click on the “Next” button to remove the malicious programs.
   

6. Click on “Activate free license”.

   Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your PC.
   
   When the process is complete, you can close HitmanPro and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 4: Double-check for malicious programs with AdwCleaner

AdwCleaner is a free popular on-demand scanner which can detect and remove malware that even the most well-known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to find.
While the Malwarebytes and HitmanPro scans are more than enough, we’re recommending AdwCleaner to users who still have malware related issues or just want to make sure their computer is 100% clean.

1. Download AdwCleaner.

   You can download AdwCleaner by clicking the link below.

   ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new web page from where you can download AdwCleaner)

2. Double-click on the setup file.

   Double-click on the file named “adwcleaner_7.x.x.exe” to start AdwCleaner. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   
   You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   

3. Click on “Scan Now”.

   When AdwCleaner will start, click on the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan.
   

4. Wait for the AdwCleaner scan to complete.

   AdwCleaner will now scan your PC for malicious files. This process can take a few minutes.
   

5. Click on “Clean & Repair”.

   When AdwCleaner has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found. Click on the “Clean & Repair” button to remove the malicious files from your computer.
   

6. Click on “Clean & Restart Now”

   When the malware removal process is complete, AdwCleaner may need to restart your device. Click on the “Clean & Restart Now” button to finish the removal process.
   
   When the process is complete, you can close Adwcleaner and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 5: Reset the browser settings to remove “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-ups

If your computer is still being redirected to the “System Activation KEY Has Expired” pop-ups, we will need to reset the web browser settings to their original defaults. This step should be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Your computer should now be free of the “System Activation KEY Has Expired” malicious program. If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:

• Run a computer scan with ESET Online Scanner
• Ask for help in our Malware Removal Assistance for Windows forum.