.micro file extension virus: what it is and how to remove it
If you can't open your files and you can see that they have .micro extension added to them, you ARE infected with .micro file extension ransomware, which is very similar to Teslacrypt. This cyber threat has been actively spread around as an email attachment, which is supposedly trying to give its victim an opportunity to get a discount.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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.micro file extension virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Ransom note | Not recorded in our earlier report |
| Contact | Not recorded in our earlier report |
| Encrypted file extension | .micro |
| Decryptor | No free decryptor is known for this variant; check No More Ransom (nomoreransom.org) for updates |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 9 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | .micro file extension virus |
| Type | File-encrypting ransomware |
| Symptoms | Files renamed with a new extension |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| Encrypted files | .micro |
| Free decryptor | No free decryptor is known (checked 6 October 2026) |
| First seen | 21 January 2016 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Traces of .micro file extension virus you can check
- File extension:
.micro
How .micro file extension virus behaves
From our report of Jan 2016 · not reviewed since
I think I was infected with .micro file extension virus. Was I?
If you can't open your files and you can see that they have .micro extension added to them, you ARE infected with .micro file extension ransomware, which is very similar to Teslacrypt. This cyber threat has been actively spread around as an email attachment, which is supposedly trying to give its victim an opportunity to get a discount.
If you like to get such emails, you should be careful with them because downloading a malicious attachment can lead you to serious problems. What are they? The main of them is the loss of your important files, including photos, business documents, music files and similar data.
We believe that you would never want to lose such data, so make sure that you carefully read this post and do all important steps to prevent the appearance of this or any other ransomware virus on your computer.
As soon as .micro file extension virus enters the system, it runs its scan to see what files are saved on your computer. As a result, it blocks all files with such extensions and ads .micro extension to each of them:
- docx
- .docm
- .xls
- .xlsx
- .ppt
- .pptx
- .pptm
- .eps
- .ai
- .indd
- .cdr
- .html
- .dng
- .lnk
- .jpg
- .png
- .pdd
- .doc
- .jfif
- .jpeg
- .gif
- .bmp
- .exif
- .txt
- .wps
- .mp3
For encrypting these files, it uses he AES 256-bit encryption algorithm, which code can hardly be bypassed without the help of specific software. Usually, people cannot open these files and use them.
When trying to do that, they receive a note from '.micro' file extension ransomware asking them to pay some bitcoins or more in exchange for a special key that is needed for decrypting encrypted files. If tried to buy a bitcoin today, you would see that one bitcoin is equal to more than $400.
Warning: However, no matter how tempting this ransom may seem to you, you should never pay it because the most of the PC users haven't received a code needed for the decryption of their files.
If you have just discovered the .micro file extension virus on your computer, you need to disconnect it from the Internet and prevent the further loss of your files.
Also, make sure that you run a full system scan with and remove malicious files from your PC. Now you should use your data backups and recover your files. If you can't find them, try recovering your files with the help of these tools: Photorec, R-studio.
From our report of Jan 2016 · not reviewed since
How can I protect myself from .micro virus?
It is known that .micro file extension ransomware can infiltrate computers as a useful email attachment.
Typically, such emails try to convince their victims that they belong to reputable companies that are trying to grant them with huge discounts and similar deals. Of course, all of these emails have one 'but'. Sometimes they are spread for tricking users into revealing their personal information, sometimes that are used for the distribution of such ransomware threats like this one. What can you do to protect yourself?
Of course, you MUSt install a reliable anti-spyware and keep it up-to-date. Then, make sure that you always double check emails from unknown people. You should check the sender, read the body of an email and carefully look at the attachment. If you can see a suspicious detail, make sure that you delete such mail.
Also, beware of fake ads offering you to update your programs, such as Java or Flash Player. In most of the cases, they are also used for spreading malware. To sum up, it is not hard to avoid '.micro file extension' virus. You just need to be a responsible PC user who always thinks two steps ahead.
How to remove .micro file extension virus
Tools you'll need
All of these are free except where noted. Download them on a clean device if the infected PC is offline.
- A USB stick: to keep the ransom note, two or three encrypted files and screenshots off the infected PC.
- Microsoft Defender Offline: built into Windows 11 and Windows 10; scans before Windows starts, so running malware cannot hide.
- Microsoft Safety Scanner: a second, portable scanner with current signatures; each download works for 10 days.
- ID Ransomware: identifies the family from the note and one encrypted file and says whether a decryptor exists.
- No More Ransom: the free decryptors from police and security companies; check it again every few months.
- Fortect (optional): scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. The free scan is in the box above.
How to remove .micro file extension virus and get your files back
Work in this order.
Disconnecting comes first, removal comes before any restore, and nothing here asks you to contact the attackers.
Step 1: Disconnect the PC and unplug backup drives
.micro file extension virus encrypts everything it can reach, including drives and shares you connect later. Cut the network first: cable out, or Wi-Fi off from the taskbar.
Then unplug every USB stick and backup disk and pause cloud sync, so the encrypted versions do not replace your online copies. Do not reconnect any of them until the ransomware is removed from the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Windows 11: turn off Wi-Fi to take the PC offline. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 2: Save the ransom note and identify the family
Find the ransom note, usually a
.txt,.htmlor .hta file in every folder or on the desktop, and copy it with one or two encrypted files to a USB stick.From another device, upload them to ID Ransomware or No More Ransom's Crypto Sheriff, which name the family from the note and the file extension. Write down the contact address and your personal ID from the note for the report.
Warning: Never contact the attackers from the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Windows 11: the ransom note and encrypted files to copy for identification. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 3: Check for a free decryptor
For .micro file extension virus, no free decryptor is known (checked 6 October 2026). Search the family name in the No More Ransom decryption tools list and in the free decryptors of Emsisoft, Avast and Kaspersky, because new tools appear years after an attack.
Important: Keep the encrypted files even if nothing works today, and do not pay before every free option is ruled out: payment does not guarantee a working key.
Decryptors run on Windows 11 and Windows 10, but only after the ransomware itself is removed.
Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 4: Remove the ransomware before you restore or decrypt
Restoring or decrypting files while .micro file extension virus still runs lets it encrypt them again. Run a Full scan in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, then the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan).
If the ransomware blocks Windows Security, start Safe Mode with Networking and scan from there. Some families install a password stealer as well, so let both scans finish on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 5: Look for shadow copies of the files
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run
vssadmin list shadows. If it lists copies dated before the attack, right-click a folder with encrypted files in File Explorer, choose Properties > Previous Versions, and open or restore a version from before that date.ShadowExplorer, a free tool, shows the same copies when the tab is empty or hidden. Most current families delete shadow copies, so an empty list is normal, but the check takes two minutes on Windows 11 or Windows 10.
Windows 11: vssadmin list shadows shows whether shadow copies exist. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 6: Restore the files from a backup or recover deleted originals
Restore from an external backup, File History or OneDrive's version history, choosing a date before the attack. Connect the backup drive only after the scans are clean, or the ransomware encrypts it too.
If there is no backup, file recovery software can sometimes find the deleted originals, because some ransomware writes an encrypted copy and deletes the original file.
Stop writing to the drive and try recovery on Windows 11 or Windows 10 before new files overwrite the space.
Full procedure with screenshots: Recover deleted files (Recycle Bin, backups, OneDrive) On uGetFix
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
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.
From our report of Jan 2016 · not reviewed since
.micro file extension virus removal
If your computer is infected with .micro file extension virus and you cannot open any of your files, you should be concerned because you are dealing with a seriously dangerous cyber infection.
We do NOT recommend you to keep this cyber threat on your computer because it may try to encrypt your files in the future as well. To stay safe, make sure that you disconnect your computer from the Internet right after you start seeing .micro file extension instead of traditional ones.
Also, you need to run a full system scan with the reliable anti-spyware to remove malicious files from your computer. After cleaning the system, try to unblock your files. As we have already mentioned, if you don't have backups, you may be left without your files.
A detailed .micro file extension virus removed can be found here:
Report it and recover your files
Report it
Report the attack even if you do not expect the files back: insurers and banks ask for the report number, and police use the contacts in the note to link cases.
- United States
- FBI IC3 · FTC ReportFraud
- United Kingdom
- Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) · NCSC
- Australia
- ReportCyber (ASD)
- EU countries
- Europol: national reporting sites
Give the victim ID, the note and the date the files were encrypted. A business that holds personal data may also have to notify its data protection authority, in the EU within 72 hours.
Protect the files you restore
Restore only after the scans are clean and the PC no longer shows files that end in .micro and no longer open; otherwise the restored copies can be damaged again.
Then build a backup that survives the next infection:
- one copy in the cloud with version history
- one on an external drive that is disconnected between backups
- the working copy on the PC
Version history matters because a backup that syncs damaged files overwrites the good ones.
How to do this with the tools built into Windows: the 3-2-1 backup rule on Windows.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about .micro file extension virus
Is there a decryptor for .micro files?
That depends on the family behind the .micro extension, which this guide cannot confirm yet from the reports alone. Check No More Ransom and ID Ransomware with your ransom note and one encrypted file; they list families with free tools.
If none exists today, keep the encrypted files and a copy of the note on a separate drive, because decryptors are sometimes published months later after flaws are found or servers are seized. Never buy a decryptor from a website that is not the security company that made it.
How do I open .micro files?
You cannot open them by renaming or by choosing another program. The .micro ending shows that .micro file extension virus encrypted the content, and only the matching key can reverse it. Renaming a file back to .docx or .jpg changes nothing except the icon, and it can confuse a future decryptor, so leave the names as they are.
To get the content back, use a backup, an unencrypted copy elsewhere, or a decryptor listed on No More Ransom if one exists for .micro file extension virus. Store the encrypted files on an external disk until then.
How did .micro file extension virus get on my computer?
The way .micro file extension virus spreads has not been documented yet, so look at your own recent activity. On home PCs, ransomware most often comes with cracked programs, game cheats, key generators and fake updates, or with an e-mail attachment that was opened.
On business networks, attackers usually log in through Remote Desktop with a stolen or guessed password. Think back to what was downloaded or installed in the days before files that end in .micro and no longer open, and check the Downloads folder and Installed apps sorted by date. Keep anything suspicious for your report, but do not run it again.
Should I pay the ransom?
We advise against it, and so do the FBI, Europol and national cyber agencies. Payment does not guarantee a working tool: some attackers never reply, some tools damage files, and some variants have no decryptor at all. Paying also funds further attacks and can make you a target again.
Before considering payment, try every recovery option in this guide and report the attack. Companies must involve their legal adviser and insurer, because payments to sanctioned groups can be illegal. If files are truly irreplaceable, store the encrypted copies and wait; decryptors sometimes appear later.
Can a data-recovery company decrypt my files for a fee?
Only if a decryptor already exists or the company pays the attackers for you. Some "ransomware recovery" services advertise that they can decrypt families with no known flaw; in practice they negotiate with the attackers and add their own fee. Others use the same free tools listed on No More Ransom.
Before you hire anyone, ask in writing how they will recover the files, whether they will contact the attackers and what happens if they fail. A legitimate service answers clearly. If a free decryptor exists for your family, you can run it yourself.
Did .micro file extension virus steal my files or passwords?
We do not know yet. Nothing published so far shows data theft by .micro file extension virus, but the only confirmed sign is files that end in .micro and no longer open, which says nothing about what happened before.
Many current ransomware attacks copy files or run a password stealer first, so it is wise to act as if they did.
From a clean device, change the passwords that were saved in the browsers on this PC, starting with e-mail and banking, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification. Watch bank statements and account activity for the next few weeks.
Is .micro file extension virus the same as other ransomware with a similar name?
Not necessarily. Ransomware names come from the file extension, the note or a word in the code, so unrelated families often end up with similar names, and one family can appear under several names. The difference matters: a decryptor or advice for one family does not fit another and can damage files.
Compare the ending added to your files and the exact name of the note with the summary table at the top of this guide, then upload the note and one encrypted file to ID Ransomware from a clean device. If the result names another family, follow the guide for that family instead.
Should I reinstall Windows after the .micro attack?
Reinstalling removes the ransomware but not the encryption: your files ending in .micro stay encrypted afterwards. So first copy the encrypted files and the ransom note to a separate drive, in case a decryptor appears later. Then decide:
- a clean-up with an offline scan is often enough for home PCs
- while a full reset is safer if remote access was involved
- scans keep finding new items
Restore your backups only after the PC is clean, and change passwords from another device.
If I delete .micro file extension virus, do my files come back?
Unfortunately not. Deleting the program only ends the attack; every file that already has the .micro ending stays encrypted, because decryption needs a key that only the attackers hold.
That is why this guide separates removal from recovery. First make sure .micro file extension virus is gone with an offline scan, then work through the recovery list:
- backups
- OneDrive history
- Previous Versions
- copies on other devices and
- if one exists
- a decryptor
Do not rename or edit the encrypted files in the meantime, and keep them even if nothing works today.
Will Fortect remove .micro file extension virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For .micro file extension virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- CISA: StopRansomware (read October 6, 2026)
- No More Ransom (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)