7zipper ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Instructions) - Decryption Steps Included
7zipper virus Removal Guide
What is 7zipper ransomware virus?
What do you need to know about 7Zipper virus?
7Zipper virus is a new ransomware-type[1] Trojan that encrypts all files on the target computer and adds .7zipper extensions to them. What is more, this ransomware virus also groups the corrupted data and puts it into 7-Zip archives and protects these with a password. We must point out that the 7-Zip software is entirely legitimate and it is not related to this virus in any way – it simply employs this program for bad intentions. Additionally, 7Zipper ransomware has nothing in common with 7Zipper app[2] in Android store. The virus refers to the victim in the Portuguese language by leaving a ransom note called Saiba como recuperar seus arquivos.txt on the desktop. This text file contains only a few lines of information regarding the computer infection. You can see these lines below.
Sua chave é:
7zippedOWM4NjUwNmRjNmE1NGI3ZjM0NzQ1MjhiOTVlNGE1NDY=Para recuperar seus arquivos, entre em contato pelo email enviando sua chave:
zipper@email.tg
The long line of random letters and symbols is victim’s ID number. The line below ways: “To recover your files, contact us by email with your key.” Criminals use an email account that uses Togo country code, which is a slightly strange fact. If you are disposed to contact cyber criminals[3] and start negotiations, we just want to remind you that cyber criminals are as filthy and greedy as real-life criminals. If you contact them via provided email address, you will be asked to buy Bitcoins and send them to offenders’ Bitcoin wallet. We highly recommend you not to do so; criminals rarely keep their promises[4], and instead of providing you with a working decryption tool, they might just infect your computer by providing a software bundle that contains a bunch of malicious programs. Therefore, we highly suggest you remove 7Zipper ransomware using proper malware removal tools (such as FortectIntego) and use data backups to restore at least part of lost data. You can also find some data recovery options below 7Zipper removal instructions right below the article.
7Zipper ransomware encrypts files and then puts them in password-protected 7-Zip archives.
How can I prevent ransomware attacks?
Ransomware viruses never spread in a direct way. Cyber criminals collect thousands of emails and send precisely written email messages to them, adding a malicious file attachment as well[5]. Typically, such file attachments hide malicious scripts that only need Macros function to be activated. You might also receive malicious JS files or simply .exe files. Opening malicious email attachments is never a good idea, and you should delete emails sent by unknown or suspicious-looking individuals immediately instead of looking at their contents. Another tip is to use data backups; although the majority of people did not even consider creating backups in the past, nowadays more and more people create them because of an increased number of ransomware attacks. If you still do not have a backup, you should create one right now. You can find more information on this matter in this post. Finally, we suggest installing trustworthy anti-malware programs for maximum system protection.
How to remove 7Zipper virus?
If your PC got hit by this ransomware virus, you should not ignore it and start taking certain actions immediately. First of all, you should remove 7Zipper ransomware using anti-malware software (or anti-spyware) – just install such program, run a system scan and let it detect malicious files on the system for you. As soon as the scan finishes, delete infectious files with a single click. The reason why we do not recommend manual 7Zipper removal method is that it requires a lot of computing knowledge and playing with system settings and Registry entries can do more harm than good. Therefore, we suggest you follow instructions provided below and start removing this infection right away.
Getting rid of 7zipper virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
The virus must be removed while the computer is running in the Safe Mode with Networking. If you haven’t entered this mode ever before, we suggest that you follow these instructions.
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 7zipper 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.
- 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.
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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 7zipper. After doing that, click Next.
- Now click Yes to start system restore.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove 7zipper 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 7zipper, you can use several methods to restore them:
Employ Data Recovery Pro
Data Recovery Pro is one of these advantageous tools that can help you to restore lost/deleted/encrypted files. Although it might not be powerful enough to restore files encrypted by .7zipper file extension virus, it won’t hurt to try.
- 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 7zipper ransomware;
- Restore them.
System Restore
Have you enabled System Restore function a while ago? If so, you can restore individual files now. Just follow these simple instructions.
- 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”.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from 7zipper and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
- ^ Kevin Savage, Peter Coogan, Hon Lau. The evolution of ransomware. Security Response - Symantec. Unparalleled analysis of and protection from IT security threats.
- ^ 7Zipper. Google Play Store. Android applications.
- ^ Kelly Batke. 7 Types of Cyber Criminals. Faronics Blog. The Official Voice of Faronics.
- ^ Hospital learns the hard way why you don’t pay ransomware crooks. The Official Kaspersky Lab Blog. Information to help protect you against viruses, spyware, hackers, spam .
- ^ Ionut Arghire. OPM-Impersonating Spam Emails Distribute Locky Ransomware. SecurityWeek. IT Security News and Information Security News.