Remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware

About this threat

[Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware is a highly dangerous malware infection, that could permanently encrypt your files. Ransomware is how this kind of malicious software is commonly referred to. You may have picked up the infection in a couple of ways, likely either through spam email attachments, infected advertisements or downloads from dubious sources. By continuing to read the report, you’ll find tips on avoiding such threats. Familiarize yourself with how ransomware is spread, because an infection could do serious damage. It may be especially surprising to find your files locked if it is your first time hearing about ransomware, and you have little idea about what it is. Files will be unopenable and you would soon find that a payment is requested of you in exchange for a decryptor. In case you consider paying to be the best idea, we would like to remind you who you are dealing with, and they’re unlikely to assist you, even if you pay. We very much doubt crooks will assist you in data recovery, it is more probable that they will ignore you after you pay. In addition, your money would go towards supporting future malware projects. In some cases, malware specialists can crack the ransomware, which may mean that there could be a free decryptor. Look into that before you make any rushed choices. In case you did make backup prior to infection, after you terminate [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware there should be no issues with recovering files.

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How is ransomware distributed

There are different ways you might have obtained the infection. Ransomware tends to stick to simple ways, but more elaborate ones are employed as well. What we mean are ways adding malicious files to emails or concealing the malware as a legitimate download, basically ones that do not require much abilities. Infecting through spam email still remains one of the most frequent ways users get their devices infected. Crooks have access to large databases full of future victim email addresses, and all they need to do is write a kind of legitimate email and attach the file contaminated with the ransomware to it. Even if those emails tend to be rather obvious to those who’ve encountered them before, less experienced users might not necessarily understand what is going on. Mistakes in the text and a weird sender address are one of the signs that something is not right. It would not be surprising if you encountered popular company names like Amazon or eBay because people would lower their guard when dealing with a known sender. It is recommended that even if you know who the sender is, you ought to still always check the sender’s address. Check whether your name is mentioned anywhere in the email, particularly in the greeting, and if it isn’t, that should cause doubt. Your name, instead of a typical greeting, would certainly be used if you’ve dealt with the sender in the past, whether a company or an individual. For instance, if eBay sends you an email, they’ll have automatically inserted your name if you are a customer of theirs.

If you want the short version, just take into consideration that looking into the sender’s identity before opening the file attachment is essential. And when on a dubious web page, avoid ads as much as possible. If you do, you may be taken to a page hosting ransomware. No matter what the ad is endorsing, don’t engage with it. We also suggest to stop downloading from unreliable sources, which could harbor malware. Downloading through torrents and such, are a risk, thus you should at least read the comments to ensure that you’re downloading safe files. Flaws in software can also be used for malware infection. That is why it’s so crucial to install updates, whenever the program notifies you about an available update. Software vendors release fixes for flaws a regular basis, you simply need to permit them to install.

How does file-encrypting malware act

It’ll scan for certain files, and that will start as soon as you open the contaminated file. Because it needs to hold some leverage over you, all files you hold important, such as media files, will become targets. Once the files are discovered, they will be locked with a powerful encryption algorithm. Affected files will have a file extension attached to them and this will help you find out which files have been encrypted. A ransom message will then pop up, explaining to you what happened to your files and how much you must pay to get a  decryptor. Ransomware ask for different amounts, you could be demanded to pay $100 or a even up to $1000. it’s up to you whether you want to pay the ransom, but do consider why malicious software investigators do not suggest complying. Before complying with the demands even crosses your mind, you should research other data restoring options. Malware researchers are on some occasions successful in cracking ransomware, thus a free decryptor could be available. Try to recall maybe you have backed up at least some of your files somewhere. And if the ransomware didn’t erase the Shadow copies of your files, they can still be restorable with the Shadow Explorer application. If you don’t wish this situation to reoccur, we really hope you have invested money into backup to keep your data safe. If you just realized that you did make backup prior to the infection happening, you just have to erase [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware, and can then proceed to file restoring.

Ways to delete [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware

Firstly, we should point out that we don’t encourage manual elimination. If you make a mistake, irreversible damage could be brought about to your system. Instead, you ought to get a malware removal utility and have it terminate the infection. You shouldn’t run into problems because those tools are made to eliminate [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware and similar threats. Your data will stay locked after ransomware termination, because the program is not capable of helping you in that regard. You’ll need to research how you could restore files yourself.

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Learn how to remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware from your computer

• Step 1. Remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware using Safe Mode with Networking.
• Step 2. Remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware using System Restore
• Step 3. Recover your data

Step 1. Remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK Ransomware using Safe Mode with Networking.

• a) Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking.
• b) Step 2. Remove [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK 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 [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK 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 [Mstr.hack@protonmail.com].KICK 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.