Remove .Moresa Virus Ransomware (+File Recovery)

.Moresa Removal guide for windows and mac

About .Moresa File Virus

There are many forms of malware and other unwanted and hazardous pieces of software out there and one of the most widespread and infamous types of dangerous computer programs are the ones known as Ransomware cryptoviruses( .Norvas , .Guvara). The cryptovirus subcategory of the Ransomware family is an especially problematic and difficult to handle form of malware infections. Instead of trying to somehow damage the infected system or steal data from the targeted user, those threats opt for a more covert method of operation that most antivirus programs are unable to detect and intercept on time. What those viruses do is they initiate an encryption process that targets most of the personal user files stored on the attacked machine. Upon the completion of this process, the files that have been targeted can no longer be opened through regular means. No matter what conventional software the user may try to access these files, any such attempts would be in vain as the data would remain sealed and inaccessible. This is because, typically, the only thing that can allow the user to access an encrypted file is the unique decryption key for the encryption used to seal the said file. Needless to say, the only people who have possession of the decryption key are the ones behind the Ransomware attack. Their goal is to blackmail you for this key as it is the one thing that can enable you to open your files again. Once the process of making your data inaccessible gets completed, the infection shows a message on the infiltrated computer – this message has all the needed details and instructions that the user is supposed to follow in order to successfully carry out the ransom transaction.

Screenshot of .Moresa File Virus

How Dangerous is .Moresa File Virus?

.Moresa is the main reason why we have written this post – this virus is a new representative of the cryptovirus subcategory of the Ransomware family. It’s encryption is highly complex and releasing the files locked by it may not always be possible due to that. This may lead any users to directly opt for the payment option as the only seemingly viable course of action that may release the encrypted data. One thing our readers should take into consideration, however, is the possibility of not getting any decryption key from the hackers even after they have carried out all actions related to the payment of the requested money sum. After all, it is important to remember that the people demanding the payment are dishonest and anonymous online criminals that have only one goal in mind – to extort as much money as possible from as many of their victims as possible. Whether you regain the access to your files or not is mostly irrelevant to them.

Can I remove .Moresa File Virus myself?

On the flip side of the coin, though there could be some alternative solutions that may give you a chance to restore your data without paying, there are no guarantees here either. Still, in order to help our readers as much as we can, we have added a removal guide for .Moresa on this page and included in it some potential methods that may help you with the restoration of some of the locked-up data.

.Moresa SUMMARY:

Name .Moresa
Type Ransomware
Danger Level  High (.Moresa Ransomware encrypts all types of files)
Symptoms .Moresa Ransomware is hard to detect and aside from increased use of RAM and CPU, there would barely be any other visible red flags.
Distribution Method  Most of the time, Trojans get distributed through spam e-mails and social network messages, malicious ads, shady and pirated downloads, questionable torrents and other similar methods.

 

Remove .Moresa File Virus 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 .Moresa

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. 

hosts_opt (1)

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the .Moresa.

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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 .Moresa , 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 – .Moresa

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 .Moresa RansomwareAbout 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: .Moresa Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the .Moresa 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.

Author:
Daniel Sadakov has a degree in Information Technology and specializes in web and mobile cyber security. He harbors a strong detestation for anything and everything malicious and has committed his resources and time to battling all manners of web and mobile threats. He has founded MobileSecurityZone.com, a website dedicated to covering the top tech stories and providing useful tips for the everyday user, in an effort to reach and help more people.

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