Remove Exorcist ransomware

What is Exorcist ransomware virus

Exorcist ransomware is a file-encrypting malware, more commonly known as ransomware. While ransomware has been a widely covered topic, it is probable you haven’t heard of it before, therefore you may be unaware of the harm it may do. Ransomware uses powerful encryption algorithms to encrypt files, and once the process is carried out, files will be locked and you won’t be able to access them. Data encrypting malicious software is so damaging because file restoration is not possible in every case. You do have the option of paying pay crooks for a decryption utility, but that’s not recommended. Before anything else, paying won’t guarantee file decryption. Keep in mind that you would be paying criminals who will not feel obligated to recover your data when they have the choice of just taking your money. Also consider that the money will be used for future malicious software projects. Do you actually want to support something that does many millions of dollars in damage. People are also becoming more and more attracted to the industry because the more people give into the demands, the more profitable it becomes. Situations where you might end up losing your files can occur all the time so a much better investment may be backup. If you had backup available, you could just remove Exorcist ransomware and then recover data without being anxious about losing them. Ransomware spread methods may not be known to you, and we’ll discuss the most common methods in the below paragraphs.
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How is ransomware spread

Email attachments, exploit kits and malicious downloads are the most frequent ransomware distribution methods. It’s often not necessary to come up with more sophisticated ways because many people are pretty negligent when they use emails and download something. That isn’t to say that distributors do not use more sophisticated methods at all, however. All criminals need to do is attach an infected file to an email, write a semi-convincing text, and falsely claim to be from a credible company/organization. Because of the topic delicacy, people are more inclined to open money-related emails, thus those kinds of topics are frequently used. Cyber criminals prefer to pretend to be from Amazon and notify you that there was suspicious activity in your account or a purchase was made. There are certain signs you should look out for before opening files attached to emails. If the sender is not known to you, you will have to look into them before opening anything they have sent you. Don’t make the mistake of opening the attached file just because the sender appears legitimate, you first need to check if the email address matches the sender’s real email. Grammar errors are also a sign that the email may not be what you think. Another common characteristic is your name not used in the greeting, if someone whose email you should definitely open were to email you, they would definitely know your name and use it instead of a general greeting, addressing you as Customer or Member. Infection is also possible by using certain weak spots found in computer software. Those vulnerabilities in software are generally fixed quickly after they are found so that they can’t be used by malware. Still, not everyone is quick to set up those updates, as may be seen from the WannaCry ransomware attack. It is recommended that you install an update whenever it becomes available. Updates could install automatically, if you find those alerts annoying.

How does it behave

A data encoding malware only targets specif files, and they are encoded as soon as they’re found. If by chance you haven’t noticed anything strange until now, when you are can’t access files, it’ll become evident that something is not right. All affected files will have a strange file extension, which usually helps people identify which ransomware they have. Strong encryption algorithms could have been used to encrypt your data, which might mean that files are not recoverable. A ransom note will be placed in the folders with your data or it will appear in your desktop, and it ought to explain that your files have been locked and how to proceed. The method they suggest involves you buying their decryption utility. If the price for a decryptor is not specified, you’d have to contact the crooks via email. For the reasons we have already mentioned, we don’t encourage paying the ransom. Giving into the demands ought to be thought about when all other alternatives fail. Maybe you simply don’t remember making backup. Or maybe a free decryptor has been published. If the ransomware is decryptable, a malware specialist could be able to release a utility that would unlock Exorcist ransomware files for free. Keep this in mind before you even think about giving into the requests. Investing part of that money to buy some kind of backup may turn out to be more beneficial. If backup is available, simply terminate Exorcist ransomware virus and then unlock Exorcist ransomware files. Now that you are aware of how dangerous ransomware can be, do your best to avoid it. Make sure your software is updated whenever an update becomes available, you do not randomly open email attachments, and you only download things from legitimate sources.

Exorcist ransomware removal

a malware removal tool will be necessary if you want the data encrypting malware to be gone entirely. If you try to delete Exorcist ransomware manually, you could end up harming your system further so that’s not encouraged. Using a malware removal program would be much less trouble. This program is beneficial to have on the device because it might not only fix Exorcist ransomware but also put a stop to similar ones who attempt to enter. Choose a trustworthy tool, and once it’s installed, scan your device to find the infection. Unfortunately, an anti-malware program unlock Exorcist ransomware files. After the infection is cleaned, ensure you get backup and regularly make copies of all important files.
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Learn how to remove Exorcist ransomware from your computer

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

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

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