How to remove Aayu ransomware

Aayu file virus is a threat that uses powerful methods to lock files before asking for money

If you find that you cannot open your images, documents, or files and they have a .aayu extension, this means that your computer has been infected with the ransomware. This ransomware encrypts personal documents found on the victim's computer and then displays a message asking for payment in Bitcoin in order to decrypt the data.

People behind the threat claim that recovery of those encoded files is possible after the cryptocurrency payment. The instructions for doing this can be found in the _readme.tx file on the victim's desktop. Aayu file virus places copies of such files in various folders containing the encoded pieces.

Ransomware is a serious infection that can result in the loss of important personal data. If you have been infected with this malware, it is important to take action immediately to try and remove it from your system and recover your files. There are a few different methods that you can use to attempt to remove the Aayu ransomware and decrypt your files, which will be discussed in more detail below.

One method that you can use to remove the ransomware is to use a reputable anti-malware program. These programs are designed to scan your computer for malicious files and programs, including ransomware, and remove them from your system. However, this is not the same as virus decryption.

What can be done?

When your computer is infected with the Aayu ransomware, it will scan your hard drive for images, videos, and important documents such as .doc, .docx, .xls, and .pdf files. Once these files are detected, the ransomware will encrypt them and change their extension, making them impossible to open.^[1]

The ransomware will then demand payment from you in order to regain access to your encrypted data. There are no decryption tools for this threat, so the particular file recovery is not possible right now. It is possible to stop the virus and make the system run smoothly again, however.

Aayu file virus will display a ransom note file that contains information on how to contact the creators of the ransomware in order to pay the ransom and have your files decrypted. The victims of this ransomware are asked to contact the malware developers through email at support@bestyourmail.ch, datarestorehelp@airmail.cc.

That is not an option. The note explains that the victim's files have been encrypted and that the only way to get them back is to pay a ransom for a decryption tool. The criminals provide email addresses for negotiation purposes and encourage people to pay with a 50% discount in the first 72 hours.

However, experts^[2] recommend not paying the ransom as there is no guarantee that the cybercriminals will keep their promise. The ransom demanded is $980 in Bitcoin first, and payment can be the first loss since you pay for nothing and still have damaged files. Ignore these criminals.

Eliminate the virus

Aayu file virus is an infection that spreads silently and without causing any symptoms. You need to clear the threat and make sure that all pieces related to the malicious program get cleared from the system. Anti-malware tools are designed to fight malware and find all threats to the system. 

The particular detection^[3] rate can show that many AV tools can be successful with the removal of this Aayu ransomware virus. Running a proper antivirus scan can help indicate all threats and potentially dangerous files or applications that affect your device.

Running a tool like MalwarebytesMalwarebytes or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner can help improve the system and remove any infections related to the ransomware or not. These infections can inject other threats on the system, so the Aayu file virus is more persistent. The proper anti-malware tool helps terminate these active virus processes. 

This is not the same as file recovery or virus decryption, however. You should note that file restoration is difficult and can lead to other issues if you do anything while the threat is already actively running on the computer. Double-check when removing the virus and then worry about the data that Aayu ransomware damaged.

Recover the machine

Once a computer is infected with malware, its system is changed to operate differently. For example, an infection can alter the Windows registry database, damage vital bootup and other sections, delete or corrupt DLL files, etc. Once a system file is damaged by malware, antivirus software is not capable of doing anything about it, leaving it just the way it is. Consequently, users might experience performance, stability, and usability issues, to the point where a full Windows reinstall is required.

Therefore, we highly recommend using a one-of-a-kind, patented technology of FortectIntego repair. Not only can it fix virus damage after the infection, but it is also capable of removing malware that has already broken into the system thanks to several engines used by the program. Besides, the application is also capable of fixing various Windows-related issues that are not caused by malware infections, for example, Blue Screen errors, freezes, registry errors, damaged DLLs, etc.

• Download the application by clicking on the link above
• Click on the ReimageRepair.exe
  
  
• If User Account Control (UAC) shows up, select Yes
• Press Install and wait till the program finishes the installation process
• The analysis of your machine will begin immediately
• Once complete, check the results – they will be listed in the Summary
• You can now click on each of the issues and fix them manually
• If you see many problems that you find difficult to fix, we recommend you purchase the license and fix them automatically.

File recovery options

Aayu file virus is the newest variant of the Djvu file virus family. It uses advanced encryption techniques that make decryption very difficult, if not impossible. This ransomware is primarily distributed online and uses new types of keys that make decryption much more difficult.

The only way to decrypt files affected by this variant is with the help of law enforcement agents or researchers who have managed to get their hands on the proper decryption tool and keys. Aayu ransomware creates unique online IDs for each device it affects. It will create a unique online ID for each machine.

This is why decryption is very difficult. It may still be possible to decrypt files affected by the same version of ransomware using an offline key. This key is unique to the virus version, not the individual machine. A decryption tool was developed previously and may be useful in recovering files in some of the cases now.

There is no guarantee that the decryption tool will work in every case, but it may be worth a try if you have been affected by Aayu ransomware. If your computer got infected with one of the Djvu variants, you should try using Emsisoft decryptor for Djvu/STOP. 

Even if your case meets this condition, somebody from the victims has to pay criminals, retrieve an offline key, and then share it with security researchers at Emsisoft. As a result, you might not be able to restore the encrypted files immediately. Thus, if the decryptor says your data was locked with an offline ID but cannot be recovered currently, you should try later. You also need to upload a set of files – one encrypted and a healthy one to the company's servers before you proceed.

• Download the app from the official Emsisoft website.
• After pressing Download button, a small pop-up at the bottom, titled decrypt_STOPDjvu.exe should show up – click it.
  
• If User Account Control (UAC) message shows up, press Yes.
• Agree to License Terms by pressing Yes.
  
  
• After Disclaimer shows up, press OK.
• The tool should automatically populate the affected folders, although you can also do it by pressing Add folder at the bottom.
  
• Press Decrypt.
  
  

From here, there are three available outcomes:

1. “Decrypted!” will be shown under files that were decrypted successfully – they are now usable again.
2. “Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID:” means that the keys for this version of the virus have not yet been retrieved, so you should try later.
3. “This ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible” – you are unable to decrypt files with this tool.