This post includes information and details about Meds – a hazardous malware program which the security researchers would normally call a Ransomware cryptovirus. Ransomware programs are capable of rendering the affected victim’s computer files totally inaccessible after the virus program has completed its task via a method called data-encryption. After all targeted documents have been sealed and rendered unavailable, a disturbing pop-up notification would normally get displayed on the victim’s screen. This pop-up serves the purpose of informing the targeted user that a set amount of money should be paid as a ransom if they want to regain access to the secured files. Also, in this ransom pop-up, certain directions may be provided, giving details on how the ransom money should be paid. In most of the cases, the cyber-criminals rely on threatening the Ransomware’s victim by telling them that their data is to remain sealed for good unless, of course, they make the payment. This article and the Removal Guide below, however, have been created to help all the unfortunate Ransomware victims who have been attacked by Meds to remove the nasty infection and deal with the consequences of its attack without paying ransom to anyone.

How to deal with the .Meds Virus?

The reason why Ransomware infections seem to have such a high success rate is because of the fact that this particular kind of viruses does not operate like any other form of malware. Programs like Meds, Moka, Seto don’t normally try to cause any actual harm to the system of the infected machine or mess up the data that is stored on its hard disk. The file encryption code that is utilized to render the data files inaccessible doesn’t corrupt or damage the data files. The main reason this is so important is that, as no actual harm gets done by the Ransomware, noticing the infection may become especially challenging. Given that the file-encryption is not a damaging method, the vast majority of security protection programs wouldn’t normally recognize the Ransomware process as a possible hazard and would allow it to finish its agenda without intercepting it. Due to this, unfortunately, there aren’t many instances where customers have managed to spot the malware virus on time and to stop its process before it has become far too late. What is more, there are almost no signs and symptoms of the ongoing encryption procedure and the infected victim may not be able to realize what’s happening to their documents before the appearance of the ransom-demanding pop-up message.

Can you get back your .Meds encrypted files if you pay the ransom?

In case that Meds has encrypted your computer files, you might be worried about whether you’d be able to get them back and maybe even considering the idea of actually making the ransom payment. Normally, the wise and preferred choice is to always seek some alternative options and only resort to paying the money if you have no other alternative or if restoring the encrypted documents is totally necessary at the given moment. It must be mentioned, however, that even if you decide to pay and fulfill all the hackers’ demands, there is no way of knowing whether you’d really get the decryption key for your files or not. On the flip side, it’s also entirely possible that the decryption key you obtain may still not work and, in some instances, it may even make the matters worse. In either of those cases, the end result would be that you would have thrown away your money without getting your computer data unlocked. Another thing to consider would be the fact that going for the money transfer could also drastically contribute to the cyber-criminal’s shady scheme. Due to that, we believe that it really is always preferable to try alternative approaches, such as the ones in the removal guide below, for unsealing your personal data and having the Ransomware removed.

SUMMARY:

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Remove Meds 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 Meds

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 Meds.

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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 Meds , 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 – Meds

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 Meds 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: Meds Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Meds 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.

The post Remove Meds Virus (+ .Meds File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

We fully understand your frustration if a nasty cryptovirus named Moka has managed to take your personal data hostage. This is a new and highly advanced addition to the infamous Ransomware virus family and dealing with it can be a serious challenge to even more experienced users. Before we delve further into this article, we should tell you right away that you may not be able to restore all of your data regardless of what you attempt to do – it’s just the way Ransomware cryptoviruses, and especially newer ones like Moka, Seto, Peta, are. Those threats are very sophisticated pieces of malware, and the encryption that they use to make the targeted files inaccessible to their victims is a serious obstacle, the overcoming of which may not always be fully possible.

If Moka has your files under its encryption right now, you have more than likely been blackmailed to pay a ransom to the hackers behind this virus, and have been promised that if you comply, a decryption key would be sent to you in order to allow you to unlock your files. Any sensible person should see that, as tempting as this may sound, there is a huge problem with such a course of action, namely, the fact that you can’t get any guarantee that you will get that said key even if you do indeed make the demanded ransom transaction. Those are, after all, hackers, and trusting them is really not advisable, especially when there’s money at stake. Pretty much all security experts unanimously agree that paying the requested sum should, at the most, be seen as a last resort option. Going for the ransom is especially advised against if the locked files aren’t that important to you. And, if the files hold some personal or professional value to you, then you should very carefully consider your options before making your next move.

The .Moka file encryption

The first and most obvious one, as inadvisable as it is, is the payment of the ransom. We already covered it and told you why it isn’t the perfect course of action here. The other thing you can try is attempt to deal with this threat without “consulting” the hackers. In this case, the first thing you need to do is remove Moka. Our Moka removal guide present on this page and the removal program available in it should be enough to help our readers get rid of this virus. However, what’s the more difficult part is what comes next. After the malware is gone, you’d have to try different methods in order to restore as much of your locked data as possible. The first thing to do here is check your other devices, your cloud accounts and other online accounts for safe and accessible backup copies of your files. The perfect case scenario is if you have a full backup but most people don’t. If that’s you case as well, you can try some of the suggestions from our file-recovery section. Those suggestions, however, may not always work against all Ransomware attacks. Still, we strongly advise you to try them – they won’t cost you anything and you may still get to restore some of your files if you are lucky.

SUMMARY:

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Remove Moka 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 Moka

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 Moka.

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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 Moka , 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 – Moka

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 Moka 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: Moka Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Moka 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.

The post Moka Virus Removal (+ .Moka File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

The .Peta virus

Knowing how frustrating it is to lose your information, we must first advise you to try to remain as calm as possible. The hackers behind Peta, Seto, Gero may place a ransom-demanding notification on your screen, asking you to transfer to them a certain amount of money immediately. The worst thing you could do, however, is to be impulsive, and let the crooks manipulate you. They may not hesitate to put pressure on you in an attempt to make you pay them as quickly as possible, because this is what their Ransomware infection’s how purpose is. But we should warn you that if you go ahead and pay them the money, there is a good chance of being left with nothing but empty pockets, and permanently locked files, despite having fulfilled their ransom demands. Besides, there is absolutely no chance of getting your money back, or helping the authorities detect the crooks, because the latter typically ask for a payment in BitCoins, which is an untraceable crypto-currency. In addition, once compromised, your system is at a high risk, and the hackers can gain control over your PC, or infect you with other malware, and thus keep harassing you.

The .Peta file encryption

For the reasons stated above, we generally recommend that you clean the infection as quickly as possible, with the help of our removal guide below, and only then focus on how to recover your files.  If you have a file backup somewhere on an external drive or in a cloud storage, the only thing you need to do is remove the infection, so that you can safely restore your files from the backup. Another thing you can do is check for specialized file decryptors online. There are a lot of decryptor instruments available, and you can download most of them for free. You should know, however, that they are designed to unlock specific types of encryption, that corresponds to specific variants of Ransomware. Still, if you want to check for a decryptor for Peta, you can visit our frequently-updated list of decryptors, where you might discover a solution to your issue. However, keep in mind that some of the newest Ransomware threats, like the one we are talking about on this page, may still not have a workable solution as the cyber criminals  are, unfortunately, one step ahead of the security researchers. Therefore, it is very important to ensure the maximum protection of your system by installing in it a trusted security tool. Another thing you could do is update your software and OS frequently, run regular system scans, avoid suspicious files and online shady locations, and prevent data loss by keeping a backup of all your valuable data elsewhere.

Peta SUMMARY:

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Remove Peta 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 Peta

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 Peta.

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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 Peta , 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 – Peta

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 Peta 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: Peta Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Peta 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.

The post Peta Virus Removal (+.Peta File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

Ransomware is definitely among the worst categories of computer malware and, unfortunately, the number of Ransomware infections has been rapidly increasing throughout the past several years, and especially the past several months. Currently, a new Ransomware representatives get created pretty much every day and dealing with them after an infection has occurred is almost always extremely tricky. Shariz is the specific Ransomware threat we will be telling you about here – a new and very problematic cryptovirus.

With Ransomware cryptoviruses (Seto, Gero), the main problem isn’t the removal of the actual virus – this can actually be done pretty easily. The real problem here is repairing the damage that the infection has done. In the case of the Ransomware cryptoviruses, the said “damage” is the encryption of the user’s files and the inability of the user to open any of those files after the malware’s encryption has been placed on them. The files themselves remain unharmed but the only way to access and use them is the special decryption key that corresponds to the employed encryption. As you probably already know, the attacked users are supposed to pay money for this key. If the requested ransom money isn’t sent to the hackers within the given deadline, the sum may double or the decryption key may get deleted for good.

Should you pay for your encrypted .Shariz files?

Before we delve any further into this topic, let us tell you that no matter what course of action you choose to follow if a threat like Shariz has infected your machine and locked up your files, there is likely not going to be any guarantee if you’d be able to restore your files. That being said, each of those two potential approaches has its pros and cons.

For example, if you pay the money and get the decryption key, you will probably be able to get all of your data back since obtaining the correct decryption key is the most effective way of recovering your files. However, this is where the pros of this option end and the cons begin. First of all, there is absolutely no way you could know if you will be sent this key if you pay. The hackers can easily keep the money you send them and then ask for more or simply not contact you ever again. There is a huge risk here of losing serious amounts of money for absolutely no reason. And, of course, if you do receive key but it doesn’t work as it is supposed to, you will still not be able to get your money back.

The other possible course of action is to get rid of Shariz and try to find some alternative recovery solutions. Here, we can offer you both a removal guide for Shariz and some suggestions on how you may be able to bring some of your data to its accessible state. That being said, our suggestions are also not guaranteed to work. There, however, are two undeniable advantages if you choose to do that instead of paying – first, there would be no risk of money loss, and second, you get to remove Shariz and make your computer safe for future use. In our honest opinion, it is better to first try the alternatives and only if nothing seems to work and you really (really!) need those files, consider the ransom payment as a possible option.

SUMMARY:

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Remove Shariz 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 Shariz

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 Shariz.

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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 Shariz , 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 – Shariz

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 Shariz 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: Shariz Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Shariz 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.

The post Shariz Virus Removal (+ .Shariz File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.

The following article describes one quite common and highly malicious program called Seto. If you’re wondering, the harmful malware piece we will be talking about is from the extremely harmful Ransomware cryptovirus kind. The typical thing concerning Ransomware is the fact that most malware programs of this type can prevent the user from accessing their own personal files by means of encryption. Right after the encryption process is completed, the PC virus would most likely generate an intimidating ransom-demanding message in which ransom payment is requested to be paid in exchange for a file-decryption key. Usually, within the ransom note, there will also be directions which are supposed to guide the user through the process of making the money transfer. Furthermore, the users are commonly warned that if the demanded ransom doesn’t get paid in time, the hackers would not unlock the affected documents and will destroy the decryption key. If you happen to be among those unlucky users that have had their machine infiltrated by Seto, we recommend that you have a look at the following paragraphs and also try out the Removal Guide down the page.

In order to stand a chance at overcoming malware programs like Seto, Gero, Adame  you must have a good comprehension of how this harmful type of virus works. The way Ransomware programs function is quite unusual for a typical malware virus which makes this type of computer threats even more tricky and challenging to cope with. If a Ransomware gets on your computer, it’d usually issue a system scan, seeking out certain computer file formats. Typically, the Ransomware would be seeking out photos, audios, video clips, and text documents – anything that might turn out to be of importance to the targeted user. After all possible file targets have been found, the malware will begin to make copies of them, deleting the originals after the copies have been created. Although the copies created by the virus are totally intact, they cannot be accessed by the user because they have been locked by a highly-advanced encoding.

The procedure we’ve just explained is known as data encryption and it is the method that Ransomware virus programs, such as Seto, make use of in order to prevent their victims from accessing their own data files and afterward use that as a basis for the blackmailing which follows soon after the procedure gets finished.

The primary issue with the Ransomware computer viruses that utilize file encryption is the fact that a large number of antivirus tools do not consider this kind of procedure as dangerous and do not issue a security warning given that no actual harm is being inflicted upon the computer system. This helps the malware to remain under the radar and to secretly encrypt all the files.

What to do with .seto encrypted files?

Getting your private data encrypted by .seto means that a choice needs to be made between agreeing to the hacker’s demands and paying them the demanded ransom or making an attempt to take care of the problem in an alternative way. In either case, there is a considerable chance that your data files could continue to be locked-up regardless of what you choose. Nevertheless, we still believe that it really is always a good idea to search for another way of regaining access to the personal data rather than immediately going for the money transaction option. That’s why we suggest you to first make use of the instructions below and only then consider other options.

SUMMARY:

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Remove Seto 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 Seto

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 Seto.

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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 Seto , 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 – Seto

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 Seto 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: Seto Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Seto 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.

The post Seto Virus Removal (+ .Seto File Recovery) appeared first on Malware Complaints.