Remove Prnds ransomware

About Prnds ransomware

Prnds ransomware ransomware is a really harmful infection as it will encrypt files. Because of how easily the infection is caught, ransomware is believed to be a very harmful malware. Certain file types will be locked soon after the ransomware is launched. Files that victims value the most, such as photos and documents, will be targeted. Sadly, you will need to get the decryption key in order to unlock files, which the people behind this malware will offer you for a price. A free decryptor might be released after some time if malware researchers can crack the ransomware. Seeing as you don’t have many choices, this may be the best one for you.

Among the files that have been affected or on your desktop, a ransom note will be placed. You will see an explanation about why and how your files have been locked, in addition to being offered to buy a decryption program. While we can’t say what you should do as we are talking about your files but paying for a decryption tool is not suggested. Oftentimes, crooks take the money but don’t send a decryptor. To believe that they will send you a decryption utility means you need to trust cyber criminals, and doing that is quite naive. Therefore, think about buying backup. If you had taken the time to make backup, simply terminate Prnds ransomware and recover files.

False updates and spam emails were likely used for ransomware spreading. Such methods are quite often used by hackers as they do not need advanced ability.

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Ransomware spread methods

You could get infected in a couple of different ways, but as we have said previously, you probably got the contamination through fake updates or spam emails. We suggest you be more careful in the future if email was how you acquired the contamination. Always check the email carefully before opening the attached file. It’s also not strange to see criminals pretending to be from popular companies, as a familiar name would make users lower their guard. You may get an email with the sender saying to be from Amazon, warning you about some kind of weird behavior on your account or a recent purchase. Nevertheless, you can easily examine whether the sender is who they say they are. Look into the email address and see if it’s among the ones used by the company, and if you see no records of the address used by someone real, best not open the attachment. If you are unsure scan the added file with a trustworthy malicious software scanner, just to be certain.

If you recently installed a software update via an unofficial source, that might have also been how the malware got in. Notifications that promote false program updates are typically encountered when you visit questionable websites. Those false update offers may also appear in adverts and banners. However, for anyone who knows that no legitimate updates will ever be pushed this way, such false notifications will be obvious. You ought to never download anything from questionable sources such as advertisements, because the fallout may be very harmful. The application itself will alert you when an update is necessary, or it may update itself automatically.

How does this malware behave

It ought to be clear already, but some of your files have been encrypted. File encryption might not be noticeable necessarily, and would have began quickly after you opened the infected file. If you are uncertain about which of your files were encrypted, look for a specific file extension added to files, indicating encryption. There is no use in trying to open affected files because a strong encryption algorithm was used for their encryption. If you look on your desktop or folders that contain locked files, you’ll find a ransom note, which ought to contain details on what you could do about your files. Ordinarily, ransom notes appear practically the same, they first say your files have been encrypted, ask for that you pay and then threaten you with removing files permanently if you do not pay. Paying the ransom isn’t the best idea, even if hackers have the decryption tool. Relying on people who locked your files in the first place to keep their word and help you is not exactly the wisest decision. The same hackers could make you a target particularly next time because in their belief if you have paid once, you might pay again.

It might be possible that you’ve uploaded at least some of your files somewhere, so check storage devices you own and various online accounts. Some time in the future, malware researchers might create a decryption tool so backup your encrypted files. Erase Prnds ransomware as quickly as possible, no matter what you decide to do.

We expect this experience will become a lesson, and you will do routine backups. You may be put into a similar situation again which could result in file loss. There is a variety of backup options available, some more expensive than others but if your files are precious to you it’s worth buying one.

Ways to remove Prnds ransomware

Unless you actually know what you are doing, manual elimination isn’t the correct choice. Allow anti-malware program to take care of the threat because otherwise, you may end up doing more damage. Sometimes, people need to boot their devices in Safe Mode in order to launch anti-malware program successfully. The anti-malware program ought to work properly in Safe Mode, so there should be no problems when you eliminate Prnds ransomware. Removing the malware won’t help with file recovery, however.

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Learn how to remove Prnds ransomware from your computer

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

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

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