Adwind virus (Free Guide) - Virus Removal Instructions
Adwind virus Removal Guide
What is Adwind virus?
Adwind Trojan might open backdoor and install various malicious programs
Adwind is a dangerous Trojan horse[1] that might attack Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. The malware is detected as Backdoor:Java/Adwind, Trojan:Java/Adwind.E, Java/Adwind.E or Trojan:Java/Adwind.E. It usually enters the system when user clicks or downloads infected content.
The Trojan has been noticed actively spreading in the United States, Portugal,[2] and Italy. However, users in other countries have already suffered from this cyber threat too. Malware is suspected of stealing sensitive information, such as banking details, credit card data, logins, etc. Therefore, Adwind removal should not be delayed.
This parasite is written in Java and after infiltration hides deeply in the system. On the affected device it might download numerous malicious files and run harmful activities. It might open the backdoor to other malware and disable security software. Thus, it can bypass weak antivirus or prevent you from removing it easily.
The Adwind virus might make modifications on Windows Registry, delete or create new entries. Such activity assures that malware boots with system startup. It might delete particular files, corrupt programs and prevent from using the computer normally. Due to the trojan’s infiltration, the computer becomes slow and sluggish.
Malware might also establish a connection with remote command and control server. As a result, other malicious programs might be installed to your computer. The research has shown that this Trojan might download spyware or even ransomware executable. Thus, this cyber threat might put your device, files, and private information at risk.
We highly recommend scanning the computer with FortectIntego or another security software once you notice at least few of the previously mentioned symptoms of the infection. However, we have said that Trojan might block antivirus programs. Thus, in order to remove Adwind, you may need to follow our prepared instructions at the end of the article.
The research revealed that this Trojan might also be responsible for distributing ransomware. The discovered Java-based file-encrypting virus is still under investigation. However, possibility to get your files encoded should be another encouraging reason to wipe out this parasite from the PC.
The distribution ways of the Trojan horse
Infiltration of the Adwind usually requires user’s participation. In most cases, malware enters the system when a user opens, clicks or downloads dangerous content. Usually, it’s done unintentionally. Thus, you should be aware of the main distribution methods to protect yourself:
- malicious content included in emails (attachments, links, buttons);
- bogus software downloads;
- illegal downloads;[3]
- fake updates;
- malicious links on social networks;
- infected websites;
- harmful ads, pop-ups, and banners;
- exploit kits.
Adwind malware might enter the system when you click on an obfuscated email attachment or infected link. Malicious emails are the most popular malware delivery method. Thus, you have to be careful with unknown letters that urge to open provided document and check some important information.
Torrents, P2P networks, and other untrustworthy file-sharing sites might also spread Adwind in the form of a useful program. Usually, malware hides in illegal downloads. Thus, you should always purchase a licence for the necessary software to protect your PC.
You should be vigilant and never click on unknown content, links, ads and download each offered program. Finally, keeping software and operating system up-to-date also helps to prevent the virus to exploit system vulnerabilities to launch the attack.
Removal of the Adwind virus
Nevertheless, the Trojan disables and blocks security software; you have to use malware removal tools to get rid of it. We recommend completing Adwind removal using either FortectIntego or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner. These programs are designed to locate and delete malicious files from the system without causing any damage.
To launch the installation of anti-malware, you need to reboot the computer to Safe Mode with Networking in order to disable the virus. The instructions below will show you how to do it.
Besides, if you have suffered from a variant that encrypts files, after Adwind removal, you should look up at our prepared data recovery options below. Or you can plug in USB drive with backups and copy necessary data from there.
Getting rid of Adwind virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
If you cannot run automatic Adwind removal, you should reboot the computer to Safe Mode with Networking as shown below. Then try again.
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 Adwind 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.
-
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..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Adwind. After doing that, click Next.
-
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 Adwind 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 Adwind, you can use several methods to restore them:
Try Data Recovery Pro
If some of your files were encrypted or corrupted after the Adwind attack, you should try Data Recovery Pro to restore them.
- 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 Adwind ransomware;
- Restore them.
Take advantage of Windows previous versions feature
If System Restore method has been enabled before ransomware attack, you should follow these steps 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”.
Use Shadow Explorer
Corrupted files might be also restored with the help of ShadowExplorer. Follow these steps to use this tool:
- 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 Adwind and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting malware
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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- ^ John Fuller. How Trojan Horses Work. HowStuffWorks. Explanations, reviews, opinions and prices for the Internet, home networking, hardware, and software.
- ^ SemVirus. SemVirus. Portuguese website about malware and virus removal guidelines.
- ^ Chris Valentine. The dangers of illegal downloading on your PC. Odd Culture. Lifestyle Blog and Resource.