How to stop windows-hold.com from showing notifications

What kind of page is windows-hold[.]com?

Windows-hold[.]com is a deceptive website that runs a scam similar to "McAfee - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!". Also, it asks for permission to display notifications. We discovered windows-hold[.]com while inspecting other pages that use rogue advertising networks (illegal movie streaming, torrent sites, and similar pages).

Windows-hold[.]com in detail

Windows-hold[.]com performs a fake system scan and then displays a security warning claiming that a computer is infected with five viruses. It claims that detected viruses that can damage the system and personal data, banking information, and other sensitive info is at risk. It instructs to use the McAfee antivirus to eliminate all threats.

McAfee is a legitimate computer security software company. It does not use pages like windows-hold[.]com to promote its products. Individuals behind this website are affiliates who promote McAfee antivirus software to collect illegitimate commissions from purchases made via their page.

It is important to mention that windows-hold[.]com shows untrustworthy notifications (fake virus warnings) that promote various scams. Those notifications may be used to promote other shady pages, potentially malicious apps, etc. Thus, windows-hold[.]com should never be allowed to deliver notifications.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by windows-hold.com
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.67.156.171
Symptoms	Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution Methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, false claims within visited websites, unwanted applications (adware)
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Websites of this type in general

Usually, websites like windows-hold[.]com use scare tactics to trick visitors into purchasing legitimate software, agreeing to receive notifications, and (or) performing other actions. They can open other untrustworthy pages. It is uncommon for websites of this type to be visited intentionally.

Examples of similar sites are updatenotification[.]xyz, scan-pro-guard[.]com, and investdigest[.]xyz.

How did windows-hold[.]com gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Windows-hold[.]com shows notifications because the "Allow" button (displayed by a browser) has been clicked while visiting this page. No website can show notifications without permission. Typically, pages like windows-hold[.]com use clickbait techniques to trick visitors into allowing them to deliver notifications.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

Always close untrustworthy pages asking for permission to show notifications or click the "Block" button while on them. Do not click the "Allow" button while visiting sites claiming that it is required to click that button to prove that you are not a robot, play a video, download a file, etc. Legitimate pages never claim that.

If you are receiving unwanted notifications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of windows-hold[.]com website (GIF):

Notifications displayed by windows-hold[.]com:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Ads by windows-hold.com?
• STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
• STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
• STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
• STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
• STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by windows-hold[.]com in the right lower corner of my desktop?

A website does not show notifications unless a visitor grants it permission to show them. Permission to show notifications is granted by clicking the "Allow" button displayed by a browser. If windows-hold[.]com displays notifications, it means that it has been allowed to show them.

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

Clicking on notifications is harmless (it cannot cause computer infections). However, websites opened by clicked notifications can be malicious.

Is windows-hold[.]com a virus?

Windows-hold[.]com is not a virus. It is designed to trick visitors into purchasing legitimate software and allowing it to show deceptive notifications.

Will Combo Cleaner remove windows-hold[.]com ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and remove permissions granted for windows-hold[.]com. Also, this application will block further access windows-hold[.]com. It will not be required to perform any additional steps.

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