You’ve likely fallen a victim of a Ransomware infection known as Carote if you’re reading these lines. If that’s the case, then you’re probably looking at how to recover from the strong encryption that has been applied to all the files, stored on your computer. And here we might come to help you. In the guide below you’ll find instructions on how to remove the infection and, hopefully, restore some of your files. Our “How to Remove” team has prepared some comprehensive directions which will guide you through the entire manual removal process but if you don’t want to risk deleting something by mistake, you can use the professional Carote removal tool instead.
The .Carote virus
Many users have recently reported the Carote infection, and this malware appears to be rapidly becoming a popular threat that robs unsuspecting users. As a typical representative of the DJVU Ransomware family (like Versato and Masodas), a group of cyber criminals developed this cryptovirus with the sole purpose of making them lots of money. The scheme is quite simple and goes like this:
The moment Carote finds its way into the system, a powerful encryption algorithm is applied to all the files (images, documents, videos, audios, archives, etc.) stored on the victim’s computer. The malware may even change the extension of the encrypted documents to makes them unrecognizable for the system and for any software.
Unlike other viruses that hide deep within the system and continue to stealthily perform their malicious activities once the encryption process is over, the Ransomware informs you about its presence by displaying a ransom-demanding notification on the screen. There, victims can see information about the encrypted files and detailed instructions on how to decrypt them. The cyber criminals typically ask for some money (a ransom) in exchange for a specially generated decryption key which is supposed to restore your files once you apply it. This is a quick money-making scheme which is based on blackmail and the effect of surprise.
The .Carote file encryption
One always has a dilemma when dealing with Ransomware. Paying the ransom seems like the fastest solution but there are no guarantees that the crooks will really send the decryption key, let alone that it will work. Not paying, on the other hand, also leaves you with not so many options. And while the decision is all yours, we’d like to point out a few things about the risks. Fulfilling the hackers’ demands may look like a very easy solution, but you should know that many users have burned their hard-earned money by paying to the crooks and not getting their files restored. Very often the hackers send a decryption key that proves utterly ineffective in reversing the encryption or they simply “forget” to send one. ⠀ In addition, your system is vulnerable to all kinds of malware with the infection still on your machine. What if the files get encrypted again just the moment you recover them? Yes, this may also happen and many victims may actually fall into that “pay-decrypt-encrypt” trap. To avoid that, we encourage you to remove Carote from your system with the help of the instructions below and give a try to our free file-recovery suggestions.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Carote |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Danger Level | High (Ransomware is by far the worst threat you can encounter) |
| Symptoms | Very few and unnoticeable ones before the ransom notification comes up. |
| Distribution Method | From fake ads and fake system requests to spam emails and contagious web pages. |
Remove .Carote Ransomware Virus
1: Preparations
Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.
2: Task Manager
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.
If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.
Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.
3: IP related to Carote
Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.
Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that.
If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the Carote.
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4: Disable Startup programs
Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.
Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10, it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:
If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Carote , disable those programs and select OK.
5: Registry Editor
Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.
Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.
Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.
6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Carote
Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
%Temp%
Delete everything you see in Temp linked to Carote Ransomware. About the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.
7: Carote Decryption
The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Carote Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.
