Razor ransomware (Virus Removal Guide) - Improved Instructions

Razor virus Removal Guide

What is Razor ransomware?

Razor ransomware – a Garrantydecrypt ransomware family member that is programmed to append the .razor extension to each filename

.razor files virusRazor ransomware is a damaging cyber threat that has emerged in the first half of February 2020

Razor ransomware is a malicious string that has emerged in the first half of February 2020. It was found to come from the Garrantdecrypt malware family. Even though this parasite is not that famous as Djvu ransomware or Phobos ransomware, that does not mean that it is not dangerous. .razor files virus operates exactly as other similar threats – by running unique encryption codes, locking all detected files, and providing payment rules. When this notorious infection appears on Windows, it heads for all the files that are stored on the device.

Once they are captured and locked by a strong cipher, the .razor appendix appears near to each filename. Additionally, Razor virus displays the #RECOVERY#.txt text message in a Notepad blank. This piece of information includes criminals' contacts such as razor2020@protonmail.ch email address, @razor2020 via ICQ, and razor2020@jxmpp.jp for contacting them through Jabber.

Name Razor ransomware
Category Ransomware/malware
Family Garrantydecrypt ransomware
Encryption Once the virus appears on the targeted computer system, it starts scanning the device for encryptable material. When all the files and documents are detected, the malware launches a strong encryption cipher, e.g. (AES or RSA) and locks up all the components with the .razor appendix
Ransom note The ransomware brings the #RECOVERY#.txt text message to the Windows computer screen which includes criminals' contact information such as azor2020@protonmail.ch email address, @razor2020 via ICQ, and razor2020@jxmpp.jp for contacting them through Jabber
Delivery The malicious payload is mostly delivered through email spam campaigns when the criminals pretend to be from reliable shipping, healthcare or banking organizations and send messages together with attachments that are infected with the ransomware
Other dangers Besides encrypting all the files that are found on the computer, Razor virus can make the system more vulnerable to other infections and let malware such as trojans escape security barriers
Elimination To complete full malware removal, you have to employ reliable security software
File recovery Rather than completing the criminals' demands and paying some type of price for the decryption tool, go to the end of this page and try out the data recovery alternatives that are provided there
Fix software If the malware has brought any type of damage to the computer system, you should try repairing the machine with the help of a tool such as FortectIntego

Razor ransomware is a virus that targets English-speaking users and appears on computers that are running the Windows operating system. Once the target is reached and the device gets infected, the malicious payload alters some locations on it, including the Windows Registry, Task Manager, Control Panel, User's folder, etc.

These areas can be filled with suspicious keys, files, and processes. Beware that Razor ransomware will likely enable its module to run within every computer startup process and scan the entire system for encryptable components in a repeated amount of time. Nevertheless, the malware can end up deactivating your antivirus software in order not to get detected.

Razor ransomwareRazor ransomware is a file-encrypting cyber threat that applies the .razor appendix to each filename after the encryption process

Furthermore, Razor ransomware will use unique encryption ciphers such as AES, RSA, or SHA to code up files. The malware can reach any types of components such as images, audios, videos, databases, excel sheets, powerpoints, etc. When these files and documents get locked, the user is not able to access them properly anymore.

Afterward, Razor ransomware stores both encryption and decryption keys on remote servers so that they would not be reachable for the victims. Another way how the malware might try to harden the data recovery process is by permanently damaging or eliminating the Shadow Volume Copies[1] by running specific PowerShell commands.

Criminals in the ransom note warn victims not to rename the encrypted files or try recovering them with third-party software as they can get lost forever. However, this is just a way for Razor ransomware developers to scare their victims and speed up the ransom payment process that is usually urged in exchange for the decryption tool:

All your files have been ENCRYPTED!!!
Write to our email:
razor2020@protonmail.ch
ICQ:
@razor2020
Or contact us via jabber:
razor2020@jxmpp.jp
Jabber (Pidgin) client installation instructions, you can find on youtube – hxxps://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pidgin+jabber+install
Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
tell your unique ID

Even though Razor ransomware does not provide any particular ransom demands, this does not mean that crooks will not ask for some money after you contact them. These people are very likely to urge for a sum anywhere from $50 to $2000 or more and require it to be paid in some type of cryptocurrency, for example, Bitcoin.

You should stay away from the required payments and even from contacting crooks. Razor ransomware has been created only for hackers' benefits and these people might decide to run away after you transfer the demanded price or provide you with fake decryption software that does not truly work. However, the choice is yours.

A piece of advice would be to remove Razor ransomware from your Windows computer system with the help of reliable software. Choose an antimalware tool that is capable of detecting some type of malware and getting rid of all the malicious products that it has brought to the computer system. This includes various files, keys, and processes.

Razor ransomware virusRazor ransomware is a dangerous malware form that mostly travels through email spam messages

If you are having some trouble to perform Razor ransomware removal, you should boot your computer in Safe Mode with Networking first. Afterward, continue with your task. Another reason to speed up the elimination process is the possibility that you might end up with additional dangerous malware on your computer system.

When Razor ransomware is permanently gone, now you can try some data recovery techniques for bringing your files back to their primary states. Rather than taking risks while paying the ransom, you should go to the end of this article and try some file restoring software that can be very helpful if used as required.

Email spam – a source that is at a high risk of ransomware infections

Malicious payload is aimed to be sneaked in unknown, otherwise, it would not make its way through various security barriers. Criminals who distribute ransomware viruses camouflage the infection as some type of a legitimate-looking file so that it would not raise any concern before opening. Such components often come attached to email spam messages.[2] Criminals pretend to be from reliable organizations, e.g. shipping, banking, healthcare and trick people into believing that the email is truly reliable and the clipped attachment should be opened or even downloaded.

If you have already opted for the downloading process of the unknown attachment, you should still not view the content inside unless your antimalware software says that it is safe after completing a full scan. Some ways to identify misleading email messages are the following ones:

  • Always check the sender. If the email letter is coming from some type of unknown address such as tomten@cock.li, it definitely is not a reliable one as well-known companies do not use such emails.
  • Investigate the text message for grammar mistakes. When you have opened the letter and read the content inside, you should try to discover any possible grammar mistakes. If there are some, this is very likely to be a sign that the email is not coming from a trustworthy sender.
  • Evaluate the expectations of such an email. If you have not been waiting for an email lately but still have received some type of urgent or important message, there might be hackers trying to trick you. If you have any concerns about the received email, you can always try contacting the company, which has supposedly written the letter, via mobile phone.

NoVirus.uk specialists[3] claim that there are also some other ways of how ransomware can be delivered to computers. Malicious actors can use software cracks to hide the infectious payload, they can create fake Adobe Flash Player o JavaScript updates to camouflage the ransomware, and so on. You should know that everything you do online should be completed with big care and responsibility. Also, owning a reliable antivirus tool will increase your chances of avoiding malware greatly.

Razor ransomware removal requires strong software

If you are looking forward to getting rid of the cyber threat once and for all, you need to make sure that you employ tools that are strong enough. Razor ransomware is a dangerous virtual parasite that scatters malicious payload all over the computer system, including locations such as the Control Panel, Registry,[4] and Task Manager. Only by cleaning these directories properly you will be able to terminate the infection in a way that it will not return in the upcoming feature.

Note that completing Razor ransomware removal manually is not a way to make things right. While performing the elimination in such a way, you take risks of completing mistakes that might appear damaging to your computer system. You also might skip some malicious keys or files. So, go to the Internet and read all about recommendable antimalware programs and choose a piece of software that has collected the best user and expert reviews.

If you see that you are having a hard time to remove Razor ransomware from your infected Windows device, the malware might be executing a malicious command to blog your AV tool or your removal attempts. Regarding this fact, look down below and follow the steps that teach how to boot in Safe Mode. Afterward, you can start viewing data recovery alternatives some of which have also been included to the end of this article.

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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 Razor virus. Follow these steps

Manual removal using Safe Mode

To diminish malicious settings on your Windows computer and deactivate the parasite, apply the following guiding steps and execute 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
  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 Razor using System Restore

To deactivate the ransomware virus which has been recently running on your Windows device, you should launch the System Restore feature. Complete the task by following these instructions

  • 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 Razor. 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 Razor removal is performed successfully.

Bonus: Recover your data

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

If you have discovered that your files and documents have received the .razor appendix, it is a sign of data encryption that prevents the user from properly accessing the components. Criminals will definitely provide you with ransom demands and require to transfer the payment in exchange for the decryption tool. 

However, we recommend that you avoid paying these people as there is a big risk of getting ripped off for nothing. After receiving the payment, crooks might not even provide you with the promised key. Alternatively, you can try recovering your blocked data with the help of the below-provided material.

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

Employing Data Recovery Pro might increase your chances of restoring locked files

Try downloading and installing this piece of software as it can bring you satisfying results when trying to restore data

  • 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 Razor ransomware;
  • Restore them.

Windows Previous Versions feature might be the right tool for file recovery

If you have been looking for some type of software that could reverse your encrypted files back to their previous states, this one might just be the exact one. However, you should have enabled System Restore in the past for this tool to operate properly

  • 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 to restore some components that are locked by ransomware

If the file-encrypting virus has locked all of your files and documents but has not deleted or permanently damaged the Shadow Volume Copies, you should give this software a try

  • 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.

The .razor files decrypter is still in the development mode

Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Razor 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
Gabriel E. Hall
Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate web researcher

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