Free-Freedom ransomware (Bonus: Decryption Steps)
Free-Freedom virus Removal Guide
What is Free-Freedom ransomware?
Free-Freedom virus: should you be scared of malware developed by 13-year-old?
Free-Freedom virus is a new ransomware[1] that tries to convince victims that their personal files have been encrypted. Inexperienced computer users might get easily tricked and believe in this lie, but the truth is that this malware only locks the files. Victims just need to know the password and use it to restore data. Therefore, if you got infected with Free-Freedom ransomware, you should be aware that the password is “adam.” To recognize this computer infection is easy by the appended file extension – .madebyadam. After data encryption, it also delivers a ransom-demanding pop-up message where victims learn about the only effective solution to get back access to their files. As you already know, it’s not true. Moreover, in the message, it is said that this ransomware has been created by a 13-year-old boy. Is it true? We have no idea. Nowadays hackers became creative and might tell various unique stories to encourage victims to transfer some money. If you got infected with the malware, you should not worry about losing your files. Just remove Free-Freedom from the computer and simply unlock your personal files.
Talking about Free-Freedom virus, it’s important to mention Roga ransomware as well. It’s an updated version of the malware that also appends the same file extension and delivers the same pop-up message informing about ransomware attack. Sadly, this version of malware can encrypt data. If you got infected with this version of the malware, you could try to decrypt your files using the password “adamdude9”, but some victims claim that the pop-up message has inactive decryption function. Therefore, if you got infected with Roga virus, we hope you have data backups. If not, after virus elimination, you should try alternative data recovery methods presented at the end of the article. Then, start thinking about solutions for data backups[2]. Both, Roga and Free-Freedom ransomware demands to pay 30 dollar ransom in Google Play gift cards[3], but you should not follow 13 year old’s orders. Even though it’s a small ransom, you should not motivate the hacker to developer bigger ransomware projects and swindle even more money from innocent computer users. Concentrate on the elimination process. For Roga and Free-Freedom removal we recommend using FortectIntego and scanning affected computer’s system.
How can you get infected with the ransomware?
The main Free-Freedom virus and Roga ransomware distribution technique are malicious spam emails. The hackers launch various campaigns and think about many ways how to trick people into opening infected email attachment. Therefore, if you want to avoid malware in general, you should not trust each email that appears in your inbox. Before opening attached PDF, Word or ZIP file, think whether you should receive it or not. If you did not expect to see some invoice, CV, information about some purchase, do not click that document. Curiosity may cause you data loss. Additionally, malware might be spreading via malicious ads and websites[4], bogus software and its updates or using exploit kits[5]. So, it’s important to keep all your programs updated and be careful while surfing the Internet.
How to remove Free-Freedom virus and recover damaged files?
After Free-Freedom attack, you should concentrate on virus elimination and only when malware is wiped out from the computer, you should think about data recovery options. As long as ransomware is on your PC, the system is vulnerable, and you can expect more malware getting inside and causing havoc. For Free-Freedom removal you have to use a professional antivirus or anti-malware program. We recommend choosing FortectIntego or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner; however, you can select your preferred software as well. But keep in mind that the virus might block access to these tools or prevent from installing it. In this case, you will have to follow our prepared instructions at the end of the article. They will help to install or access malware removal tool and remove Free-Freedom for good. Then, you can concentrate on data recovery. If you got infected with a decryptable version of the virus, just use the passwords. However, if you were not fortunate, you should try additional data recovery methods presented below.
Getting rid of Free-Freedom virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
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 Free-Freedom using System Restore
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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.
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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.
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Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
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Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Free-Freedom. After doing that, click Next.
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Now click Yes to start system restore.
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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 Free-Freedom from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.If you got infected with Free-Freedom ransomware, try to decrypt your files using the pasword “adam”. If you got infected with it’s updated version – Roga ransomware – try the passowrd “adamdude9”. If it doesn’t work, after virus elimination try additional data recovery methods.
If your files are encrypted by Free-Freedom, you can use several methods to restore them:
Data Recovery Pro tool for restoring locked files
This tool is capable of restoring lots of different file types that has been damaged, encrypted or lost. This tool might unlock at least some of your lost files.
- 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 Free-Freedom ransomware;
- Restore them.
Use Windows Previous Versions features to recover lost files
If System Restore function has been enabled on your PC before ransomware attack, follow the steps below and restore individual files.
- 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”.
Try ShadowExplorer for data recovery
If Free-Freedom virus or Roga ransomware failed to delete Shadow Volume Copies, use ShadowExplorer tool and restore your files.
- 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 Free-Freedom and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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- ^ Definition - What does Ransomware mean? . Technopedia. Website for IT professionals.
- ^ Maria Korolov. Will your backups protect you against ransomware?. CSO from IDG. Security news, features and analysis about prevention, protection and business inovation.
- ^ One gift. Endless ways to play. Google Play. The information about Google Play gift cards.
- ^ Wendy Boswell. How do I avoid dangerous websites?. LifeWire. Tech Untangled.
- ^ Exploit kit. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.