Ntuseg is the name of a new malicious program that belongs to a special malware category called Ransomware. If you don’t have an idea what Ransomware is, you should know that this is a really malicious and sneaky type of malware. Some Ransomware representatives only block the screen of the computer and ask you to pay a ransom in order to unlock it. These threats can usually be dealt with without paying the hackers to restore your access. Ntuseg, however, is different. When infected with this threat, your system and your software are still working and you can access the screen, but your personal files, such as documents, spreadsheets, and images, are encrypted and you cannot open or use them without applying a special secret decryption key. Unfortunately, the criminals behind the Ransomware retain the only copy of the decryption key on their server, so you cannot open the files without their help. They give you a short deadline to pay them in order for them to send that key to you. Sadly, the decryption key is unique to your computer, so you cannot simply take it from another person to decrypt the files. Reversing the applied encryption is also very challenging without the corresponding decryption key and may not always be successful.
Can the .Ntuseg file encryption be reversed in another way?
There are many victims of Ransomware who don’t know what to do when the scary ransom-demanding message appears on their screen, and ask us if they should pay the required amount of money in order to obtain the decryption key. Such course of action, however, is not advisable, and would only be sponsoring the criminals who stand behind the blackmailing scheme. Moreover, paying the ransom that the hackers require in no way guarantees that everything will be back to normal. In fact, there is a great risk that you may not receive any decryption key from the crooks and lose your money in vain. That’s why, most security professionals, including our “How to remove” team, usually recommend that the victims of infections like Ntuseg, Todar or Bopador do not to give their money to the criminals and instead seek some legitimate malware removal methods which can help them remove the malware and eventually restore some of their files without paying a ransom. Fortunately, such methods exist, and even though they may not have the same level of success for everyone, they are still worth the try.
So, how to deal with the .Ntuseg virus?
One of the possible methods to deal with a Ransomware like this one is to try to remove it and use whatever available file-backup copies you have to recover your encrypted data. The process of detection and elimination of the infection may require some skills and your full attention, but, fortunately, our Removal Guide below is suitable for inexperienced readers and covers all the steps that you need to take. As far as the recovery of your data is concerned, we have to be honest here, and say that only a full data backup copy can guarantee the 100% percent recover of all of your data. Reversing the encryption applied by this type of malware by other means may not always be successful, regardless of the methods that you may use. Still, below you will find some alternative file-recovery suggestions which may help you and which don’t involve giving money to anyone.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Ntuseg |
| 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 .Ntuseg Ransomware
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 Ntuseg
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 Ntuseg.
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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 Ntuseg , 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 – Ntuseg
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 Ntuseg 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: Ntuseg Decryption
The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Ntuseg 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.