'Windows 10 Pro Update Failed' Pop-Up

The 'Windows 10 Pro Update Failed' pop-up is a tactic that tries to persuade users that there is something wrong with their copy of Windows. The pop-up then invites its victims to dial a fake technical support number. The crook answering the call is obviously not a Microsoft employee and has nothing to do with the company or with the Windows Support, but is instead a crook who will most likely ask for remote access to the system and then proceed to collect details and credit card information possibly. The scam has taken multiple specific manifestations over time. At one point it used to be a fake notification, a warning of an unsuccessful Windows 10 update by using a fake 'Error 10xe0008c' message. This pop-up later changed to a claim that the victim's copy of Windows has somehow been corrupted and the operating system license key has been deleted from the victim's computer. This is a hoax obviously and a scare tactic used by the crooks. The most current manifestation of the pop-up hoax is disguised to look like a Windows 10 System section of the control panel, that shows basic system hardware information, with the fake error message displayed overlaid on it. The Web address that displays the pop-up is:

hxxp://useractivatenotification.date/0310/AR/UK/8259/windows

The full text of the pop-up is as follows:

'We are Unable to Locate Windows License Key Data File. It has been deleted from your Computer.
You may have visited Harmful Website recently which has downloaded the Ransom ware in your Windows Computer due to which the License Key Data file is deleted.
Your System is Automatically Locked To Prevent Important Data Loss.
For Immediate Support Call Windows 10.0 Help Desk at
Toll Free:'

Official Microsoft employees or representatives will never make any unsolicited attempts to contact users or send any warnings of this kind. The fact that both the Web page and the pop-up are riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes also should be a big red flag that this is nothing more than a ham-fisted attempt at a hoax.