Perl ransomware / virus (Removal Instructions)

Perl virus Removal Guide

What is Perl ransomware virus?

Perl virus is the new Bart ransomware variant

Perl virus seems to be the third version of Bart ransomware, which follows the most recent one – Bart v2.0 ransomware. Just like its predecessor, it encrypts files with RSA-4096 cipher and adds certain file extensions, in this case – .perl file extensions, and this is where the name of this ransomware comes from. The entire functionality of the new version hardly differs from the second ransomware version, which means that PERL virus can encrypt over 140 different file types. The ransom note it saves on the computer is called recover.txt, and it places a .bmp image file instead of previous desktop wallpaper. The behavior and ransom notes left by this virus remind us of one of the most infamous computer viruses – Locky. This virus asks to use Tor browser to access provided URLs and go to the payment site. As we have entered that site, we saw that it suggests buying Bart Decryptor.

Unfortunately, but it seems that files encrypted by Perl ransomware cannot be decrypted without the unique decryption key. If you have been hit by this crypto-ransomware, you probably know that it demands to pay a ransom in order to get this decryption key, but we strongly recommend you not to do so. .Perl file extension virus might be an upgraded version of Bart, but that does not mean that it is a better version of the virus. Cyber security researchers might be able to find a decryption tool one day, so be patient. Meanwhile, remove Perl ransomware by running a system scan with anti-malware software, for instance, FortectIntego. To recover the encrypted data, use a data backup, or, if you do not have it, follow data recovery instructions presented below this article. For successful Perl removal, use instructions presented below and deactivate the virus first; otherwise, it might not be possible to start the malware removal tool. Screenshot of Perl virus

How did you manage to download this virus on to the system?

Perl ransomware spreads in an indirect way. It cannot be downloaded from the Internet freely. Typically, it aways for victims in software bundles, malicious websites or deceptive email attachments. Nowadays, ransomware can hide in a safe-looking PDF, Word or ZIP file, so viruses no longer need to be sent in the form of EXE files. It goes without saying that it is much easier to get your computer infected with ransomware since it can hide in safe-looking files. That is why we always recommend computer users to install reputable anti-malware programs that can prevent malware infiltration. For your safety, do not open emails that come from unknown people and do not enable Macros function in case someone sends you a document that contains a scrambled text.

Ways to remove Perl ransomware

If your PC has been affected by this virus, do not let it stay on the system. Since files cannot be recovered, you should remove Perl virus as soon as possible (of course, unless you plan to pay the ransom). We strongly recommend you not to give your money to cyber criminals, because they might not help you to recover data. Besides, if you have a data backup, you can recover them for free. Just complete Perl removal and then plug in the backup drive into the computer.

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What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of Perl virus. Follow these steps

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
  1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
  2. 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.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list. Windows 7/XP
Windows 10 / Windows 8
  1. Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
    Settings
  2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
    Update and security
  3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
  4. Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
  5. Click Restart now.
    Reboot
  6. Select Troubleshoot. Choose an option
  7. Go to Advanced options. Advanced options
  8. Select Startup Settings. Startup settings
  9. Press Restart.
  10. Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking. Enable safe mode

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:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details.
    Open task manager
  3. Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
  4. Right-click and select Open file location.
    Open file location
  5. Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
    End task
  6. Delete the contents of the malicious folder.

Step 3. Check program Startup

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Go to Startup tab.
  3. Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
    Startup

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:

  1. Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
    Disk cleanup
  2. 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).
  3. Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:

    Temporary Internet Files
    Downloads
    Recycle Bin
    Temporary files

  4. Pick Clean up system files.
    Delete temp files
  5. 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 Perl using System Restore

  • Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
    Windows 7 / Vista / XP
    1. Click Start Shutdown Restart OK.
    2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
    3. Select Command Prompt from the list Select 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'

    Windows 10 / Windows 8
    1. Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
    2. Now select Troubleshoot Advanced options Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
    3. Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window. Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
  • Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
    1. Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter. Enter 'cd restore' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    2. Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again.. Enter 'rstrui.exe' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    3. When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Perl. After doing that, click Next. When 'System Restore' window shows up, select 'Next' Select your restore point and click 'Next'
    4. Now click Yes to start system restore. Click 'Yes' and start system restore
    Once you restore your system to a previous date, download and scan your computer with FortectIntego and make sure that Perl removal is performed successfully.

Bonus: Recover your data

Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove Perl from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.

At the moment, there is no way to decrypt .perl files for free. If you choose so, you can buy the decryption software from cyber criminals; however, we highly recommend you not to do so. It is unlikely that crooks are willing to provide the decryption software to you, so we believe that it is better to keep your money to yourself. If you do not have data backup to restore your files, you can try these tools:

If your files are encrypted by Perl, you can use several methods to restore them:

Restore data with Data Recovery Pro

Files infected with Bart 3? If you do not have the decryption key, you should try to restore your files with the help of Data Recovery Pro. If this tool cannot decrypt your files now, it might be able to do that in the future. Don’t lose your patience and try later on again!

 

  • 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 Perl ransomware;
  • Restore them.

Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Perl and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes

How to prevent from getting ransomware

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 Private Internet Access 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, or 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, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.

About the author
Alice Woods
Alice Woods - Likes to teach users about virus prevention

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