How to remove Esmeralda ransomware virus

Esmeralda virus and its relation to the Apocalypse ransomware:

If Notre Dame opera makes you want to sing, sadly, the Esmeralda virus will summon quite the opposite emotions. This malicious ransomware virus drives people into despair by locking their personal files using a military-grade AES algorithm and refusing to give them back unless a set amount of money is paid for the data decryption key. Experts believe that this virus is a new variant of the notorious Apocalypse crypto-ransomware which has been spotted on the web earlier this year. This could explain where exactly is the Esmeralda ransomware drawing its most destructive features from. Either related to Apocalypse or not, this infection is very dangerous in its self. First of all, it imitates critical Windows error and informs about it in the How_To_Decrypt.txt file that it drops on the infected computer:

Windows has encountered a critical problem and needs your immediate action to recover your data. The system access is locked and all the data have been encrypted to avoid the information be published or misused. You will not be able to access to your files and ignoring this message may cause the total loss of data. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
You need to contact the email below to restore the data of your system.
Email: esmeraldaencryption@mail.ru
You will have to order the Unlock-Password and the Esmeralda Decryption Software. All the
instructions will be sent to you by email.

Though not overt, this message is nothing more but a ransom note by which the hackers try to convince and even threaten victims to follow their demands and pay for the “Unlock-Password” and Esmeralda Decrypter. The note provides only some very vague guidelines, while a more detailed information is granted only after contacting the attackers directly. However, this note provides additional information that can be used to analyze the infection further. For instance, though the note is written in English, the indicated email features points to the well-known Russian email service Mail.ru. Thus, it can be presumed that the hackers behind this virus might originate from Russia. However, for the regular users, the primary interest should be Esmeralda removal and prevention. Both of these issues can be effectively solved using reputable and professional antivirus utilities, such as FortectIntego. We strongly recommend sticking to this safer option instead of paying for the decryption key you may not even receive.

Recognizing that your computer has been infected with Esmeralda malware is easy. First, and the most obvious sign is losing access of your personal files followed by the changes of file extensions. The virus will replace your regular .jpg, .docx or .xls extensions to the unusual “.encrypted” ones. Finally, the ransom note document will appear on your desktop and every folder that contains encrypted files. Less noticeable changes involve the appearance of new entries in the Windows registry, allowing suspicious processes to boot at startup. Don’t try fixing these alterations yourself — you may accidentally make things worse! Instead, remove Esmeralda automatically, using specialized software.

How is this virus distributed around the web?

Esmeralda virus can lurk in the places you expect the least. For instance, it may arrive directly to your inbox as an invoice, flight or hotel booking details or any other information that looks believable enough for the users to get hooked on. The scammers know their craft and the techniques that work the best in spreading malware around. So, we do not recommend trying to outsmart them. Instead, secure your data by making backup copies and storing them somewhere safe, for instance, USB drive, external hard disk or another computer. Even if the Esmeralda virus hits, using these backups you will be able to recover your important files without much difficulty.

Steps of Esmeralda removal:

If Esmeralda virus is already on your computer, do not risk the security of your files — remove it from the system right away. By keeping such a nasty parasite installed, you risk the safety of your future files as well as the health of your computer. To make sure you do not run into difficulties during the Esmeralda removal, employ only the reputable antivirus software for the job. We recommend FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner. However, if you are unable to get these utilities scanning your system, you might first need to decontaminate the virus using the instructions we provide below. When these steps are completed, you can then safely remove Esmeralda and try recovering the lost files.