Malware

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About ransomware

OptimalSync is a file-encrypting malware, known as ransomware in short. It’s possible you have never come across this type of malware before, in which case, you may be especially surprised. You won’t be able to access your files if ransomware has locked them, for which strong encryption algorithms are used. Because file encrypting malware might mean permanent data loss, it’s categorized as a very damaging infection. You will be given the option of paying the ransom for a decryption tool but that isn’t the best idea. Paying will not necessarily ensure that you will get your files back, so expect that you might just be wasting your money. Keep in mind that you are anticipating that crooks will feel bound to help you restore files, when they can just take your money. You should also take into account that the money will be used for malicious program projects in the future. Data encrypting malware already costs millions of dollars in losses to businesses in 2017, and that’s merely an estimation. And the more people give them money, the more profitable ransomware gets, and that attracts increasingly more people to the industry. Investing the amount that is demanded of you into backup would be a much better decision because if you are ever put in this type of situation again, you wouldn’t need to worry about file loss because they would be restorable from backup. You can then proceed to file recovery after you fix OptimalSync or related threats. If you are unsure about how you got the contamination, the most frequent methods will be discussed in the following paragraph.
Download Removal Toolto remove OptimalSync

Ransomware distribution ways

Frequently, ransomware is spread via spam emails, exploit kits and malicious downloads. Because people tend to be pretty negligent when dealing with emails and downloading files, it is usually not necessary for ransomware distributors to use more elaborate methods. Nevertheless, some file encoding malicious programs may be distributed using more sophisticated ways, which need more time and effort. Crooks do not need to put in much effort, just write a generic email that less cautious users might fall for, add the infected file to the email and send it to hundreds of users, who might believe the sender is someone credible. You’ll frequently come across topics about money in those emails, because users are more likely to fall for those types of topics. And if someone who pretends to be Amazon was to email a person that dubious activity was noticed in their account or a purchase, the account owner may panic, turn hasty as a result and end up opening the added file. There a couple of things you should take into account when opening files added to emails if you want to keep your system safe. Before proceeding to open the file attached, check the sender’s identity and whether they can be trusted. If the sender turns out to be someone you know, do not rush into opening the file, first cautiously check the email address. Evident grammar errors are also a sign. Another pretty obvious sign is the lack of your name in the greeting, if a real company/sender were to email you, they would definitely use your name instead of a universal greeting, referring to you as Customer or Member. Unpatched program vulnerabilities could also be used for infection. Those vulnerabilities in programs are frequently fixed quickly after their discovery so that malware cannot use them. As WannaCry has proven, however, not everyone rushes to install those updates. Situations where malware uses vulnerabilities to get in is why it is so essential that you regularly update your software. Patches could install automatically, if you find those notifications annoying.

What does it do

Your data will be encoded as soon as the ransomware infects your computer. If you did not realize the encryption process, you’ll certainly know something’s up when your files cannot be opened. You will realize that the encoded files now have a file extension, and that helps users find out what kind of file encoding malware it is. It should be said that, it is not always possible to decode data if powerful encryption algorithms were used. In a note, crooks will explain what has happened to your data, and offer you a method to restore them. A decryption tool will be offered to you, in exchange for money obviously, and cyber crooks will alert to not implement other methods because it may lead to permanently encrypted data. If the ransom amount is not specified, you would have to use the given email address to contact the cyber crooks to find out the amount, which might depend on how important your data is. For already discussed reasons, paying the hackers isn’t a recommended option. Before even considering paying, try other alternatives first. Try to remember whether you have ever made backup, your files may be stored somewhere. A free decryption utility could also be an option. If a malware researcher is able to crack the ransomware, he/she might release a free decryption software. Consider that before you even think about paying cyber crooks. A wiser purchase would be backup. If you created backup prior to infection, you might proceed to data recovery after you fix OptimalSync virus. If you familiarize yourself with ransomware, you ought to be able to secure your device from threats of this kind. At the very least, don’t open email attachments left and right, update your software, and only download from legitimate sources.

Ways to erase OptimalSync

If the is still present on your computer, A malware removal program ought to be used to terminate it. If you try to eliminate OptimalSync manually, it may bring about further damage so that’s not recommended. Thus, opting for the automatic method would be a wiser idea. The tool is not only capable of helping you deal with the infection, but it might stop future ransomware from getting in. Once the anti-malware program of your choice has been installed, just scan your tool and allow it to eliminate the threat. We ought to say that an anti-malware tool is meant to get rid of the infection and not to unlock OptimalSync files. Once your computer has been cleaned, normal computer usage should be restored.
Download Removal Toolto remove OptimalSync

Learn how to remove OptimalSync from your computer

Step 1. Remove OptimalSync using Safe Mode with Networking.

a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking.

For Windows 7/Vista/XP
  1. Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK. win-xp-restart OptimalSync Removal
  2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options appears.
  3. Choose Safe Mode with Networking win-xp-safe-mode OptimalSync Removal
For Windows 8/10 users
  1. Press the power button that appears at the Windows login screen. Press and hold Shift. Click Restart. win-10-restart OptimalSync Removal
  2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. win-10-options OptimalSync Removal
  3. Choose Enable Safe Mode with Networking. win-10-boot-menu OptimalSync Removal

b) Step 2. Remove OptimalSync.

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 OptimalSync using System Restore

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

For Windows 7/Vista/XP
  1. Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK. win-xp-restart OptimalSync Removal
  2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options appears.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt. win-xp-safe-mode OptimalSync Removal
For Windows 8/10 users
  1. Press the power button that appears at the Windows login screen. Press and hold Shift. Click Restart. win-10-restart OptimalSync Removal
  2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. win-10-options OptimalSync Removal
  3. Choose Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt. win-10-boot-menu OptimalSync Removal

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. command-promt-restore OptimalSync Removal
  3. A window will pop-up and you should press Next. Choose a restore point and press Next again. windows-restore-point OptimalSync Removal
  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

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. data-recovery-pro OptimalSync Removal
  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. windows-previous-version OptimalSync Removal
  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. shadow-explorer OptimalSync Removal
  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.

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