Your computer is low on memory! To free up some memory, please close a few applications. Don't hurry to hit the Close button. This notification looks like an official one by Apple. Type free up disk space in the Search box. Tap or select Settings. Tap or select Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files on the left side of your screen. In the Drives list, tap or select the drive that you want to clean up. Tap or select OK. In the message that appears, tap or select Delete files. Defragment your hard drive. In Windows, open the 'Start' menu and navigate to 'Accessories'. If your PC is rated lower than 2 or 3, it might be time to consider a new PC, depending on what tasks you want to do with your computer. Change the size of virtual memory If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file.
No matter how good you are about keeping your computer clean and up-to-date, they tend to slow down after time. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to help speed them up― without upgrading your hardware.
Original product version: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
Original KB number: 3064207
Note
If you are an advanced user, you can download a free tool from the Microsoft website that shows you all of the programs and processes that run when you start Windows, including the ones that Windows requires to operate successfully. Use this tool only if you are comfortable restoring Windows after an error occurs.
If you use more than one antivirus or antispyware program at the same time, your device may experience decreased performance, become unstable, or restart unexpectedly. To remedy the issue, you should select one Internet security program to run on your device. You should then uninstall the other programs.
Caution
Make sure you have an Internet security program running on your device before you uninstall other security programs.
Some Internet security applications do not uninstall completely. You may need to download and run a cleanup utility for your previous security application to completely remove it.
If you use another antispyware program together with Microsoft Security Essentials, we recommend that you turn off real-time scanning in the other program. For more information, see the documentation supplied by that antispyware program.
To remove an antivirus or antispyware program, follow these instructions:
If your device takes a long time to start up, one of the causes could be having a large number of startup apps or a few apps that have a high impact on startup time.
Some of these programs add an icon to the notification area on the taskbar to show that they are running with startup.
To stop a program that has one of these icons from automatically running on startup, follow these instructions:
Note
You must open any program that you do not want to run on startup and change the setting.
To see what programs run at startup and disable any, follow these instructions:
Note
Disabling a program from running at startup doesn't stop the program from running if you need it. If you tap or select the program after startup, it will start and run normally.
Sometimes, by adding or removing certain program options, you can prevent a program from running at startup.
If you can't stop the program from running on startup and the program does not have the option to change the configuration, you must talk to the program manufacturer for a solution.
To change the configuration of a program, follow these instructions:
If prompted, type an administrator password or confirmation.
Over time, your device may create errors on its hard drive. These errors can slow your device. The Check Disk program identifies and cleans any errors.
To run Check Disk, follow these instructions:
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen (if using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen and move the mouse pointer down).
Tap or select Search.
Type computer in the Search box.
Tap or select Apps.
Tap or select Computer on the left side of your screen.
Press and hold or right-click the drive you want to repair, and then tap or select Properties.
Tap or select the Tools tab.
Under Error checking, tap or select Check. Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don't use your device for any other tasks while it's checking for errors. If prompted, type an administrator password or confirmation.
You may need to restart your device after error checking is complete.
One of the best ways to help improve your device's performance is by optimizing the hard drive. Optimize Drives, previously known as Disk Defragmenter, is a Windows feature that helps optimize different types of drives. The feature runs automatically on a weekly schedule, but you can also run Optimize Drives manually.
To run Optimize Drives manually, follow these instructions:
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen (if using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen and move the mouse pointer down).
Tap or select Search.
Type computer in the Search box.
Tap or select Apps.
Tap or select Computer on the left side of your screen.
Press and hold or right-click the drive you want to repair, and then tap or select Properties.
Tap or select the Tools tab.
Tap or select Optimize under Optimize and defragment drive.
Under Status, tap or select the drive you want to optimize. (The Media type column tells you what type of drive you're optimizing.)
To determine if the drive needs to be optimized, tap or select Analyze. Note: If prompted, type an administrator password or confirmation.
After Windows finishes analyzing the drive, check the Current status column to see whether you need to optimize the drive. If the drive is more than 10 percent fragmented, you should optimize it.
Tap or select Optimize.
Note
To change the optimization schedule, follow these instructions:
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen (if using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen and move the mouse pointer down).
Tap or select Search.
Type computer in the Search box.
Tap or select Apps.
Tap or select Computer on the left side of your screen.
Press and hold or right-click the drive you want to repair, and then tap or select Properties.
Tap or select the Tools tab.
Tap or select Optimize under Optimize and defragment drive.
Tap or select Change settings. If prompted, type an administrator password or confirmation.
Select one of the following:
Tap or select OK.
Disk Cleanup reduces the number of unnecessary files on your drives by deleting temporary files and system files, emptying the Recycle Bin, and removing a variety of other items that you may no longer need.
To clean your hard disk, follow these instructions:
To clean up system files associated with your account, follow these instructions:
In the Drives list, tap or select the drive that you want to clean up and then tap or select OK.
In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, tap or select Clean up system files. Note: If prompted, type an administrator password or confirmation.
The More Options tab is available when you opt to clean up system files from your device. This tab includes two additional options for freeing up space:
If Windows is running slowly, you can speed it up by disabling certain visual effects. You can select which visual effects to turn off one by one or you can let Windows select for you.
To turn off visual effects, follow these instructions:
Sometimes you can improve system performance by changing your computing behavior. Running four or more programs while leaving multiple browser windows and email messages open may be more than your device can handle.
If you find your device slowing down, decide whether you really need to keep all of your programs and windows open at the same time. Also, find a way to remind yourself to reply to email messages later instead of keeping them open until you reply.
ReadyBoost can speed up your device by using storage space on flash memory cards and USB flash drives. If you have a storage device that will work with ReadyBoost, you'll see an option to use ReadyBoost when you plug it into your device. If you select this option, you can select how much memory to use.
Windows uses an index to perform very fast searches of the most common files on your device. If it's taking too long to search for things on your device, you can narrow your search to focus on the files and folders that you most commonly use.
A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings (such as display, sleep, and so on) that manages how your device uses power. The power plans you can use depend on the kind of device you have.
'Free up some memory urgently' is a scam run on deceptive websites. It promote the Kalox APP browser hijacker, however, the scheme might also promote different browser hijackers, adware and other Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). This scam could potentially also promote malware (e.g. ransomware, Trojans, etc.). Like the name suggests, the scheme claims that users' devices are overloaded and states that they must immediately free up memory. Note that no web page can detect issues or threats present in systems - any that make such claims are scams. Typically, users access these websites unintentionally - they are redirected to them by intrusive advertisements or PUAs already infiltrated into the device.
When a website running 'Free up some memory urgently' scam is accessed, a pop-up window is displayed. It states that the computer memory has reached its limit and urges users to create some space by freeing up memory. They are instructed to click the 'Free memory' button and follow the steps provided. The small print in the pop-up states that, by clicking the aforementioned button, users agree with the scam's terms. At the time of research, once the button is clicked, users are presented with the Kalox APP browser hijacker. Following the scheme's narrative, this software will supposedly free up system memory. Browser hijackers operate by reassigning the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of fake search engines. Therefore, each new browser tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirects to the promoted address. Rogue search engines are usually unable to provide unique results, and so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other legitimate sites. Even if fake search engines can provide results, they tend to be inaccurate and/or promote untrusted and malicious sites. In the case of Kalox APP, it promotes s3redirect.com and gooogle.page - bogus search engines. Additionally, browser hijackers can restrict/deny access to browser settings and reset any permitted changes made. Furthermore, most PUAs (browser hijackers included) can track data - they monitor browsing activity and gather sensitive details extracted from it. Information of interest includes URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, IP addresses, geolocations, personally identifiable details and other data. Furthermore, the gathered information is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). To summarize, the presence of or download products promoted using these dubious techniques.
If a browser is force-opening websites such as those promoting 'Free up some memory urgently' scheme, it is most likely due to PUAs already installed on the system. These applications can cause redirects to untrusted/rogue, sale-oriented, deceptive/scam, compromised and malicious websites. Another type (browser hijacker) modifies browsers to promote bogus search engines. Adware-type apps run intrusive ad campaigns (i.e. deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons and other ads). When clicked, these advertisements redirect to various harmful sites and some can even stealthily download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs). Most PUAs can monitor users' browsing habits and collect private information. To ensure device integrity and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.
Name | 'Free up some memory urgently' pop-up |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud. |
Fake Claim | Scam claims that the device's memory is overloaded. |
Distributed Unwanted Apps | Kalox APP |
Symptoms | Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan. |
Distribution methods | Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications. |
Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
'A virus has been detected on your computer', 'VIRUS ALERT FROM Windows' and 'Windows firewall has blocked some features of this program' are some examples of scams making bogus claims relating to devices. There are many scam models, which attempt to trick users in different ways. For example, users may be encouraged to: download/install and/or purchase nonoperational, untrusted or malicious software; reveal personal information (e.g. names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, banking account and/or credit card details, etc.); make bogus payments (e.g. for 'services rendered', registration, subscription, shipping, etc.); call fraudulent and expensive tech support lines, and so on. Regardless of what these schemes claim, offer, request or demand, the purpose is identical: to generate revenue to the scammers/cyber criminals behind them.
Some PUAs have 'official' download web pages, which are commonly promoted by deceptive/scam sites. These apps are often downloaded/installed with other products. 'Bundling' is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing method of packing normal software with unwanted or malicious additions. Rushing downloads/installations (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertent installation of bundled content. Intrusive ads proliferate this software as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' consent.
All products should be researched before download/installation or purchase. Download from official and verified sources. Untrusted download channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders can offer dubious and bundled content. When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all possible options, use the 'Custom/Advanced' settings and opt-out of supplementary applications, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads may seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious websites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others). If you encounter these advertisements/redirects, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
Text presented in the 'Free up some memory urgently' pop-up:
Attention!
Free up some memory urgently, your computer is overloaded!
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/83.0.4103.116 Safari/537.36
Click 'Free memory' button and follow the instructions.
By clicking 'Free memory' you agree with the terms
Free memory
The appearance of 'Free up some memory urgently' pop-up scam (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD MalwarebytesBy 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 Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Quick menu:
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
Windows XP users:
Click Start, choose Settings and click Control Panel. Locate and click Add or Remove Programs.
Windows 10 and Windows 8 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Mac OSX users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window, look for any suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click 'Uninstall' or 'Remove'.
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Malwarebytes checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
Click the 'gear' icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select 'Manage Add-ons'. Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click 'Remove'.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the 'free up some memory urgently' pop-up, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select 'More tools' and click 'Extensions'. Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (such as 'Kalox APP') and remove them.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the 'free up some memory urgently' pop-up, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select 'Add-ons'. Click on 'Extensions', in the opened window remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with 'free up some memory urgently' pop-up removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Click the Edge menu icon (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select 'Extensions'. Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click 'Remove' below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the 'free up some memory urgently' pop-up, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Summary:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free. software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
Removal assistance:
If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove 'free up some memory urgently' pop-up from your computer, please ask for assistance in our malware support forum.
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