Windows Security Alert

[mamabear]

My new company issued a notebook which was used by the staff I replaced. When windows opens, a Microsoft Security Alert comes into the screen which says that there are programs that may harm the computer and directs to a website. It also asks for the windows verification code. The screen is covered by this announcement and it could not be closed or minimized. You can't access the desktop icons, and you can't open any file unless you click on the website link. The security alert states a microsoft address in Russia and the instructions have misspelled words like "bellow" for below. I think it's a kind of virus. When I was able to go around it and used the internet to download ccleaner, windows crashed.

Can anyone explain this to me.

[Arudo]

Did you buy it brand new or what?
Because if it is brand new then the chance of such thing happening is close to zero.
Oh well, now that it happened, just reformat the notebook.

[mamabear]

It was a brand new notebook used only for 3 months. But I think the former user had clicked a spam alert that downloaded that fraud security alert.

[Arudo]

I see.
Well in that case, reformat
Make it 'brand new' once more

[21Cfox]

Yes, I think the best option is reformatting and reinstalling your Windows. Of course you need to back up all the data stored in the HDD. It wouldn't a big issue if the data is stored in the different partition from the system.