FinalRansomware virus (Easy Removal Guide) - Recovery Instructions Included
FinalRansomware virus Removal Guide
What is FinalRansomware virus?
The origins and the working principles of FinalRansomware:
FinalRansomware virus is a new version of GX40 — a crypto-ransomware [1] which encrypts infected computers’ files and demands payment for their recovery. To render victims’ files unreadable, the virus uses AES algorithm [2]. Sadly, this means that the chances of decrypting them are virtually non-existent. Of course, there is a possibility that the decryption may be bypassed, say, by extracting the decryption key from the virus source code. Nevertheless, such method takes time, requires high expertise and, at the end of the day, may not even give anticipated results. But when the computer is infected with FinalRansomware, you can’t wait around and must take immediate action to prevent malware from inducing further damage to the computer and containing files. In other words, you must remove FinalRansomware from the infected system and make sure you do that very carefully so that none of the malicious components are left on the computer. Otherwise, they may trigger a secondary encryption, and the whole elimination process may go to waste. Thus, we recommend employing professional antivirus software such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes, depending on what operating system the virus did affect. The anti-malware utility will scan your entire system and quarantine the hazardous files automatically, so you will be able to tackle data recovery quicker.
FinalRansomware is a work of hackers who refer to themselves as Ocra. And these extortionists sure have put an effort to make their name known and feared. Final ransomware is a malicious infection which is capable of infecting most Windows versions and, possibly, other operating systems as well. As we have already mentioned, the hackers do not joke around and choose acknowledged encryption techniques to ensure the victims have no chance of decrypting their files. Just like its parent version, this virus appends files with .encrypted extensions which bring a more illustrative image of the infection scope. When the files are encrypted and marked, the virus drops a brief ransom note explaining how the files can be retrieved. We present the transcript of this note below:
YOUR FILE HAS BEEN ENCRYPTED
All of your important files has been encrypted by Ransomware
x
Contact me to make payment and make sure to attach yor identifier
geekhax@amail.com
IDENTIFIER: *****
COPY
RESTORE
As you can see, the extortionists do not provide much detail about the amount of ransom or the payment method in this note. All required information is presented after the victims contact the crooks via geekhax@amail.com, informing about their intentions of buying the data decryption key. We can presume that the hackers rely on Bitcoin [3] to ensure the transactions between them and the victims are secret and anonymous. Regardless of whether the ransom is huge or easily affordable, we do not recommend paying it. Every penny the criminals receive from their malicious projects motivates them to create more of such programs. FinalRansomware removal, on the other hand, is a setback for them, so you should not hesitate to banish this malware from your computer without paying up.
Ransomware distribution: how does it work?
FinalRansomware not only relies on the well-established data encryption and ransomware collection strategies but also employs typical ransomware distribution approaches. In particular, it may arrive with the help of the infected phishing [4] or spam emails, software update scams or illegal software. Combined with clever social engineering tricks, such distribution approaches often result in a quick and successful system infiltration, so it is not surprising why so many users suffer from ransomware attacks. Since FinalRansomware spreads like most malware of the sort, it can be avoided the same way too — by obtaining reputable antivirus software, carefully browsing online and keeping data backups [5] of your important files.
Kill FinalRansomware in a few simple steps:
As we have already mentioned earlier, the easiest ways to remove FinalRansomware virus is by employing automatic anti-malware tools. All security experts agree on that. Of course, such malware removal utilities must be legal and updated to their latest versions. But even these aspects cannot guarantee that FinalRansomware removal will be successful. The malware may try blocking antivirus from running system scan, so it may be necessary to take additional steps to decontaminate the virus manually. Do not worry; we explain everything in the comprehensive guide below the article. Feel free to use it in case you encounter virus elimination problems.
Getting rid of FinalRansomware virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
First ransomware decontamination method is provided below:
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove FinalRansomware using System Restore
In this section, we will discuss another way FinalRansomware can be decontaminated:
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
-
Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
-
Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
-
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
-
Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
-
When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of FinalRansomware. After doing that, click Next.
-
Now click Yes to start system restore.
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove FinalRansomware from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.If your files are encrypted by FinalRansomware, you can use several methods to restore them:
Recover files encrypted by FinalRansomware using Data Recovery Pro:
Data Recovery Pro is a software which was initially designed to help users recover files after accidental deletion or corruption but now it has been updated and can help tackle files encrypted by parasites such as FinalRansomware virus.
- Download Data Recovery Pro;
- Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
- Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by FinalRansomware ransomware;
- Restore them.
How to use Windows Previous Versions feature?
Windows Previous Versions is a useful in-built Windows feature which may come in handy when recovering encrypted files. Here is how this tool works:
- Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
- Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
- Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.
How to use ShadowExplorer to recover files?
ShadowExplorer is a software which can be used to recover files from their Volume Shadow Copies, if they have not been deleted by the virus. To find that out try following these steps:
- Download Shadow Explorer (http://shadowexplorer.com/);
- Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
- Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
- Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from FinalRansomware and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ Julian Bhardwaj. Techniques in ransomware explained. Nakedsecurity. Computer security news, opinion, advice and research from anti-virus experts Sophos.
- ^ Advanced Encryption Standard. TutorialspPoint. Technology tutorials .
- ^ Aaron van Wirdum. Is Bitcoin anonymous? A complete beginner’s guide. BitcoinMagazine. Bitcoin news site.
- ^ Maria Korolov. 93% of phishing emails are now ransomware. CSOonline. Security news, features and analysis about prevention, protection and business innovation.
- ^ Casey Morgan. Top five reasons why you need to backup your data. StorageCraft. Backup and Disaster Recovery Blog - Recovery Zone.