Goofed ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Guide) - Bonus: Decryption Steps
Goofed virus Removal Guide
What is Goofed ransomware virus?
New Hidden Tear strain — Goofed ransomware
Goofed – yet another version of Hidden Tear virus which was spotted in the second half of November 2017. Alternatively, it is known as Goofed HT ransomware. It acts like any other file-encrypting virus that encodes data on the victimized computer and insists on paying a ransom to recover the documents. It is easily recognized by the hidden-tear.exe executable file and .goofed extension which is appended at the end of victim's file-names. Finally, the virus drops a YOU_DONE_GOOFED.txt ransom note.
Note that there are numerous versions of the infamous Hidden Tear virus such as Jhash, Curumim, DolphinTear, Foxy, and many other. They are all based on the same source code obtained from the parent program and Goofed ransomware is not an exception.
Goofed virus uses complex algorithms to encrypt the most widely used data:
- Videos;
- Documents;
- Archives;
- Images and other valuable information.
After Goofed HT ransomware finishes to encode data, it places a text file informing the victims about the attack. The ransom note states the following:
Files has been encrypted with hidden tear
Send me $100 in bitcoin to 112eFWptVuBw9KzVZFvgx8ERnqYMsY6HLj
And email me at hiddentear@protonmail.com for your decryption key.
We do not recommend paying the ransom since criminals cannot be trusted. You can find numerous complaints by the people who made transactions and received a useless decryption key[1] or didn’t receive it at all. Therefore, the smartest choice would be to remove Goofed virus and do not finance crooks’ malicious activity.
You can start Goofed removal by downloading a powerful anti-malware program. Our top picks would be FortectIntego and SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner since they are reliable and able to finish the termination process quickly. Besides, you should know that eliminating the malicious program does not recover your data. Thus, you should try to retrieve them from backups or use alternative recovery methods.
Understand how ransomware spreads to avoid its attack
Many people get infected with file-encrypting viruses because they are incautious and do not know how they are distributed. Typically, hackers employ not one, but many techniques to spread the ransomware rapidly.
The most commonly used one is to send spam e-mails that contain the executable files of the malware[2]. People do not recognize the ransomware since it is carefully hidden — developers impersonate invoices or other sales’ bills from well-known companies. Therefore, people get tricked to open the malicious e-mail and download an .exe file of the virus.
Another alternatively efficient technique is to release fake software updates to the web. Usually, computer users seek to download programs or their upgrades for free. Likewise, they end up at suspicious websites offering illegal downloads where hackers put their infected updates.
If you want to avoid the file-encrypting virus attack, you should definitely track every step you make while browsing. It is useful to employ a professional security software and scan files before downloading them. Also, install software only from verified distributors and stay away from unreliable ads which are promoted on vague pages.
Additionally, be careful with your e-mail letters. Crooks might hack into your friends’ accounts and use them to send messages with malware-laden links as well. Thus, don’t be shy to contact your friend in person in case you receive a suspicious text.
Goofed virus termination is the best solution
You should be aware that usually, ransomware is able to open backdoors for criminals to infiltrate other high-risk computer infections into your system. Besides, the malicious program might contain a Trojan component that is designed to track and steal your personal information such as credentials, log-in names, and passwords. Likewise, NoVirus.uk[3] experts suggest you to remove Goofed virus with a powerful anti-malware program to eliminate its components as well.
Remember that if you try to terminate the ransomware by yourself, you might not be able to recognize all of its elements and remain infected. The worst case scenario could be that you would delete files that are necessary for your operating system and damage your computer permanently.
Therefore, our team suggests following the Goofed removal instructions that are presented below. They will guide you through the process and highlight essential steps to succeed in the malware elimination.
Getting rid of Goofed virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
To remove Goofed ransomware you should circumvent its system by rebooting your computer to Safe Mode with Networking.
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 Goofed using System Restore
Sometimes it may still block the installation of the antivirus program. Thus, follow the guide below to learn how to boot your PC into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
-
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 Goofed. 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 Goofed from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.Since ransomware removal does not work as a decryption tool for the corrupted data, you can try alternative recovery methods that are mentioned below.
If your files are encrypted by Goofed, you can use several methods to restore them:
Data Recovery Pro is an excellent tool
This program was originally created to help victims after ransomware attack. Therefore, follow the instructions below to learn how to use it.
- 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 Goofed ransomware;
- Restore them.
ShadowExplorer might help you
To be able to use this tool, you have to check whether the ransomware has deleted Shadow Volume Copies from your PC. If not, you can try to recover your files by following the instruction template below.
- 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 Goofed 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.
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- ^ Milton Kazmeyer. How Does Decrypting Work?. Chron. Small Business.
- ^ Anup Raman. How Dangerous are Spam Mails?. A Tech Journey. IT News.
- ^ NoVirus. NoVirus. Security and Spyware News.