Get rid of MedusaLocker ransomware

About this threat

MedusaLocker ransomware malware is classified as a very dangerous infection because of its intention to encrypt your data. File encrypting malware is more referred to as ransomware, a term you should be more familiar with. It is likely that you recently opened a malicious attachment or downloaded from malicious sources, and that’s how the infection got in. Continue reading to find out how infection might be prevented. A ransomware infection could result in drastic consequences, therefore it’s crucial that you are informed about how it might get into your system. If ransomware was unknown to you until now, you may be particularly surprised when you find out what happened to your files. Soon after you understand what’s going on, a ransom message will appear, which will reveal that if you want to get your files back, you have to pay money. If you consider paying, we would like to remind you who you are dealing with, and they are not likely to keep their promise, even if you pay. It is much more probable that you won’t get a decryptor. By giving into the demands, you’d also be supporting an industry that does damage worth hundreds of millions yearly. You should also look into free decryption utility available, maybe a malware specialist was able to crack the ransomware and release a decryption program. Try to find a decryption program before considering paying. Data restoring shouldn’t be an issue if you had created backup prior to the ransomware getting in, so simply eliminate MedusaLocker ransomware and access the backup.

Download Removal Toolto remove MedusaLocker ransomware

How does ransomware spread

You might have gotten the threat in a couple of ways, which will be discussed in more detail. While it is more likely you got infected via the more basic methods, ransomware also uses more sophisticated ones. We’re talking about methods such as attaching malware to emails or hiding malware as valid downloads, essentially ones that don’t require a lot of skill. Spreading the malware via spam is still perhaps the most frequent infection method. Criminals attach an infected file to a kind of legitimate seeming email, and send it to possible victims, whose email addresses were sold by other crooks. Generally, those emails have signs of being fake, but for those who have never encountered them before, it might seem rather convincing. Grammar mistakes in the text and a weird sender address are one of the signs that you may be dealing with malware. Frequently, names of famous companies are used in the emails so that receivers become more at ease. Even if you think you know the sender, always check the email address to make sure it matches the company’s actual address. A red flag ought to also be the sender not using your name in the greeting, or anywhere else in the email for that matter. Senders who have business with you would not use common greetings like User, Customer, Sir/Madam, as they would be familiar with your name. So if you are an Amazon customer, and they email you about something, you’ll be addressed with the name you’ve provided them with, and not as Member, etc.

If you want the short version of this section, always check that the sender is legitimate before you open an attachment. Also, refrain from engaging with ads while you are visiting pages with questionable reputation. Those ads won’t necessarily be safe to press on, and you may end up on a website that will initiate ransomware to download onto your device. It is best to ignore those ads, no matter what they are endorsing, seeing as they’re hardly reliable. Downloading from untrustworthy web pages may also bring about an infection. Downloading via torrents and such, are a risk, therefore you should at least read the comments to make sure that you’re downloading safe content. Software has certain vulnerabilities, which could occasionally authorize various infections to enter a system. Make sure you keep your software updated because of this. Software vendors release updates a regular basis, you simply have to permit them to install.

How does ransomware act

The ransomware will start searching for certain files to lock as soon as it’s launched. Its primary targets are documents and media files, as they likely will be valuable to you. When the files are identified, the ransomware will use a strong encryption algorithm to encrypt them. The encrypted files will have a weird extension added to them, so you’ll easily notice which ones have been affected. A ransom note ought to then pop up, which will offer you to buy a decryptor. How much money you are requested to pay really depends on the ransomware, you may be requested $20 or a $1000. It is up to you whether to pay the ransom, but do consider why this option is not suggested. There may be other means to recover files, therefore that ought to be researched before you make any decisions. There’s also a chance that a free decryptor has been released, if people specializing in malware analysis were successful in cracking the ransomware. You need to also try to remember if maybe you did backup your data, and you simply do not remember it. It might also be possible that the ransomware did not touch Shadow copies of your files, which means you may restore them through Shadow Explorer. If you’re yet to do it, obtain backup as quickly as possible, so that you do not endanger your files again. If you do have backup, you can just erase MedusaLocker ransomware and proceed to recover files.

Ways to erase MedusaLocker ransomware

Manual termination is not something we suggest, keep that in mind. While it’s it is not impossible, you could end up irreversibly damaging your device. Our advice would be to obtain a malware elimination software instead. There shouldn’t be any trouble as those tools are developed to eliminate MedusaLocker ransomware and similar infections. Bear in mind, however, that the software does not have the ability to recover your files, so it won’t be able to do anything about them. Data restoring will need to be carried out by you.

Download Removal Toolto remove MedusaLocker ransomware

Learn how to remove MedusaLocker ransomware from your computer

• Step 1. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware using Safe Mode with Networking.
• Step 2. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware using System Restore
• Step 3. Recover your data

Step 1. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware using Safe Mode with Networking.

• a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking.
• b) Step 2. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware.

a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking.

For Windows 7/Vista/XP

1. Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options appears.
3. Choose Safe Mode with Networking

For Windows 8/10 users

1. Press the power button that appears at the Windows login screen. Press and hold Shift. Click Restart.
2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
3. Choose Enable Safe Mode with Networking.

b) Step 2. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware.

You will now need to open your browser and download some kind of anti-malware software. Choose a trustworthy one, install it and have it scan your computer for malicious threats. When the ransomware is found, remove it. If, for some reason, you can't access Safe Mode with Networking, go with another option.

Step 2. Remove MedusaLocker ransomware using System Restore

• a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
• b) Step 2. Restore files and settings.

a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

For Windows 7/Vista/XP

1. Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options appears.
3. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

For Windows 8/10 users

1. Press the power button that appears at the Windows login screen. Press and hold Shift. Click Restart.
2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
3. Choose Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

b) Step 2. Restore files and settings.

1. You will need to type in cd restore in the window that appears. Press Enter.
2. Type in rstrui.exe and again, press Enter.
3. A window will pop-up and you should press Next. Choose a restore point and press Next again.
4. Press Yes.

While this should have taken care of the ransomware, you might want to download anti-malware just to be sure no other threats are lurking.  

Step 3. Recover your data

• a) Using Data Recovery Pro to recover encrypted files.
• b) Restore files through Windows Previous Versions
• c) Using Shadow Explorer to recover files

While backup is essential, there is still quite a few users who do not have it. If you are one of them, you can try the below provided methods and you just might be able to recover files.

a) Using Data Recovery Pro to recover encrypted files.

1. Download Data Recovery Pro, preferably from a trustworthy website.
2. Scan your device for recoverable files.
3. Recover them.

b) Restore files through Windows Previous Versions

If you had System Restore enabled, you can recover files through Windows Previous Versions.

1. Find a file you want to recover.
2. Right-click on it.
3. Select Properties and then Previous versions.
4. Pick the version of the file you want to recover and press Restore.

c) Using Shadow Explorer to recover files

If you are lucky, the ransomware did not delete your shadow copies. They are made by your system automatically for when system crashes.

1. Go to the official website (shadowexplorer.com) and acquire the Shadow Explorer application.
2. Set up and open it.
3. Press on the drop down menu and pick the disk you want.
4. If folders are recoverable, they will appear there. Press on the folder and then Export.

* SpyHunter scanner, published on this site, is intended to be used only as a detection tool. More info on SpyHunter. To use the removal functionality, you will need to purchase the full version of SpyHunter. If you wish to uninstall SpyHunter, click here.