RedStar EXPOSED: .RedStar Files, READ_ME.txt, and redstarme@proton.me

You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The vacation shot should still be vacation.jpg. The invoice should still be invoice-2026.pdf. The tax sheet should still be taxes.xlsx. Instead every familiar name has a second ending tacked on. 1.jpg is now 1.jpg.RedStar. A small text file named READ_ME.txt is sitting in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there.

That is the trap, not a glitch.

This page is for the hour those names appear. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so the note does not become your incident plan.

Overview

RedStar ransomware locks the files first. Then it keeps the old name and the old type, and hangs .RedStar on the end. Then it drops READ_ME.txt and talks like a person you can bargain with. The note is a storefront. It says the files have been encrypted with RedStar. It asks you to send some bitcoins, or some good coffee. It points you at redstarme@proton.me. That is the whole costume. There is no printed wallet. There is no $ amount. There is no Session handle. There is no onion address. This page will not invent any of those.

If you are staring at a pile of .RedStar files and that text note, you are in a ransom incident, not a broken disk and not a Windows pop-up. The folder is the evidence. The note is a checkout, even when it jokes about coffee. Stay with the folder, not with the script.

The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.RedStar. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.RedStar. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.RedStar. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.RedStar. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.RedStar. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it. Windows may call the type a REDSTAR File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG.

The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops READ_ME.txt into the same folders. READ_ME sounds like a label you already trust. A .txt ending opens in Notepad. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales flyer. The flyer is meant to be opened. It is not meant to be trusted.

The body of that sample is short on purpose. Files have been encrypted with RedStar. Send me some bitcoins or some good coffee. Contact: [Redstarme@proton.me]. That is the whole pitch. There is no printed deadline. There is no test decrypt. There is no second inbox. There is no chat handle. There is no unique ID for you to fill in. There is no Bitcoin address to copy. There is no $ figure to convert in your head. The note does not need extra theater. A locked folder plus an inbox plus the word bitcoins is already a shop.

This locker is not a newspaper, not a film studio, not a software vendor, and not a club that happens to use the words Red Star. If a search for that name lands you on a real company site, that is a different name. This page is about the ransomware that writes .RedStar onto files and leaves READ_ME.txt with redstarme@proton.me. Do not smear a brand you found in the same search. Do not mail a company help desk because the extension looks like a product.

That is the whole picture. A locked folder of .RedStar names. A READ_ME.txt file that jokes and still asks for coin. One Proton mailbox that is not Proton support. Bitcoin named as a word, not as a filled checkout. 100% of the lock is already finished before you open the note. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to mail that inbox today because a text file told you to.

The .RedStar name is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. This one uses .RedStar. The extra cruelty is how readable the listing stays. You do not have to decode anything. You can still see 1.jpg inside 1.jpg.RedStar. You can still see the invoice year. You can still see the word taxes. The familiar words are still in the folder. The files are not familiar anymore.

Do not treat that readable name as a fix. Do not strip .RedStar off the end and expect Photos or Excel to open the file. Do not run a bulk “extension fixer” you found in an ad. The name is a label. The lock is in the content. Editing the label can make a later trusted tool have a harder time matching the file to what it was. Leave the locked copies as they are until you have a clean machine and a plan that does not start in a criminal inbox.

The extra ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees vacation.jpg.RedStar next to READ_ME.txt can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the extension back to you as if that were expertise. The extension is public. It is sitting in the folder. Quoting it proves nothing except that they can read a listing. A brand-shaped name like RedStar makes that quoting even easier, because it sounds like a product you might have installed on purpose. You did not. A type column that says REDSTAR File is Windows guessing from the extra ending. It is not a licensed player.

READ_ME.txt is a sales floor, not a help file

The ransom note is a plain text file with a name that sounds like documentation. READ_ME.txt wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a readme. This one uses that habit against you. It is meant to be the first English you can still read when the photos will not open.

Double-clicking it opens Notepad. That is why a panicked first click feels like opening the help page. It is not help. It is the demand, written so it looks unofficial enough to feel human and official enough to follow. The filename is built to look like paperwork. READ ME. A .txt ending Windows already trusts. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat, and a joke about coffee is easier to obey than a wall of capital letters.

Keep the file on disk. Then close it. Do not treat it as a set of steps you should follow. Do not tidy the filename. Do not shorten it to “the readme” when you write the incident down. Copy READ_ME.txt the way you would copy a serial off a stolen laptop. That string is how a responder matches this locker. It is not a coupon you redeem by mailing redstarme@proton.me.

Files have been encrypted with RedStar is a shout, not a lab report

The first line of the sample is not a diagnosis. It is a headline. Files have been encrypted with RedStar does the same job a fake breaking-news banner does on a scare page. It names the disaster in one breath so the rest of the flyer feels like the only adult in the room. You are supposed to stop thinking and start obeying.

The shout is also a brand. Later search ads will quote it. Later “helpers” will paste it so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline. Copying Files have been encrypted with RedStar does not mean they can reverse .RedStar. It means they read the same note you did, or they read a screenshot of it.

If the shout is sitting in more than one folder, that is normal for this family. Lockers drop the same text in many places so you cannot miss it. Finding five copies is not five incidents. It is one incident with a loud flyer. Keep one clean copy as evidence. You do not need to open every copy. You do not need to compare them in mail to redstarme@proton.me.

Some bitcoins or some good coffee is a costume, not a price

The note does not print 0.5 BTC. It does not print a $ figure. It does not print a wallet string. It says send me some bitcoins or some good coffee. That line is meant to sound like a person, not a cartel. A joke lowers your guard. A joke also leaves the real ask in place. Bitcoins is still a ransom. Coffee is the costume wrapped around it.

Do not treat a missing $ amount as a kindness. A blank price is a hook. The first mail from redstarme@proton.me is where a number appears, or where a stranger invents one for you. Do not help them fill that blank. Do not convert “some bitcoins” into a local $ guess and decide it is small enough to get over with. There is no printed figure to convert. Leave it uninvented.

The coffee line travels well in screenshots. People will repeat it because it sounds funny. Funny is not the same as safe. A later helper will quote the coffee joke so they sound close to your folder. Reciting a joke is not a decryptor. It is proof they can read. Keep the line as an identifier. Do not answer it as if it were a menu.

redstarme@proton.me is checkout, not Proton support

The recovery step in the sample is mail. Contact: [Redstarme@proton.me]. On the note the mailbox is written that way, inside brackets. The address itself is redstarme@proton.me. That is the whole door. It looks like support because support uses email. Criminal shops use email too, because a thread is where a joke becomes a price and a locked photo becomes a sample they asked you to attach.

Proton Mail is a real mail service. A proton.me ending is not a badge of honesty. It is not a help desk. It is not “the Proton team.” Anyone can open a mailbox there. Mailing redstarme@proton.me is not mailing Proton. Do not write Proton support about this inbox as if they issued the lock. Do not write that inbox “just to see.” Do not create a throwaway account for the same reason.

Keep the address as an identifier. Copy it into the incident record the same way you copy the extension. Then leave it alone. A later message that says “this is the real Proton recovery” is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Proton did not encrypt 1.jpg.RedStar. The people who dropped READ_ME.txt did.

This is not a media brand and not a studio

RedStar as a locker name is built to collide with ordinary search. There are companies, studios, papers, and clubs that use Red Star as a real name. None of those outfits dropped READ_ME.txt on your disk. None of them renamed 1.jpg to 1.jpg.RedStar. Do not call a company switchboard because the extra ending looks like a product code. Do not post a review on a vendor site as if this were a failed install.

If a later helper says they “already work with Red Star,” ask which one they mean and then do not wait for the answer. They mean they can read the extension. A media brand does not encrypt family videos and ask for bitcoins in a three-line note. A studio does not hide a checkout inside a readme. Treat the name as a stain on the file, not as a company you owe a ticket to.

When you write the incident down, write ransomware. Write .RedStar. Write READ_ME.txt. Write redstarme@proton.me. Do not write a company name you found in a search ad. Mixing those names is how a locker borrows someone else’s reputation, and how a real brand gets blamed for a crime it did not commit.

No wallet and no $ amount is still a ransom

Plenty of lockers print a Bitcoin address and a finished price. This sample does not. The note names bitcoins and then stops. That blank is not a missing page. It is the bait. You are supposed to mail redstarme@proton.me to “find out how much.” You are supposed to feel that a $ figure will make the situation more real. The situation is already real. The files are already locked.

This page will not invent a wallet to finish the sentence. This page will not invent a $ amount either. A missing address in the copy you are reading is not a puzzle. The sample never printed one. If a later screenshot shows a long string under the coffee line, treat that as a different flyer or a copycat add-on. Do not type a string from a forum into an exchange “just to see the fee.” Do not paste a $ quote from a stranger into a family chat as if it were official.

A wallet, when you actually have one on disk, is an identifier for a responder. It is not a payment instruction you should carry out. The sample used for this page does not include one. Do not invent one. Do not help a later helper invent one. 0% of a made-up address is a recovery path.

No deadline and no test decrypt is not kindness

The sample has no 48-hour clock. It has no 7-day key threat. It has no “unlock three files” demo. Those missing lines are not a favor. They are a shorter path to the inbox. Other families use timers and proof so you feel managed. This one jokes about coffee and names an address. You are supposed to feel that waiting is already a mistake, and that a friendly mailbox is the adult move.

Do not add those missing pieces yourself. Do not send a small file because a later message offered a test decrypt the original note never printed. Do not start a personal countdown because a forum post said “they only wait two days.” The published flyer did not print a fuse. Leave the fuse uninvented. Leave the $ quote uninvented too.

How The Attack Works

The strain does not need a long story to work. It locks what it can reach. It brands the names so you recognize the loss. It drops a tiny note that sounds like a person. Then it waits for you to mail redstarme@proton.me. The rest of this section is that path, in the order the folder tries to walk you through it.

1. The lock keeps the old name so you recognize the loss

The first job is to make the damage visible without hiding what you lost. 1.jpg is still sitting there as 1.jpg.RedStar. vacation.jpg is still sitting there as vacation.jpg.RedStar. The original words stay in the listing on purpose. You can still sort by name. You can still see the invoice year. You can still see the family video. Recognition is the pressure. If the names turned into random garbage, some people would assume a disk failure and stop. A readable name next to a dead file is a ransom in one glance.

Windows may offer to pick an app for the new type. Decline it. There is no player for .RedStar. Photos cannot open the extra ending. Excel cannot open it. A video tool cannot open it. “Choose an app” is the operating system being polite, not a hint that a codec is missing. Do not install a “RedStar opener” from an ad. That installer is a second problem standing on the first one.

Leave every locked name exactly as it is. The original type is already in front of .RedStar. You do not need to edit the label to know what you lost. You do need the label later if a trusted tool ever matches this strain. Bulk-renaming the pile is not a repair. It is how people destroy the only clean mapping they still have.

2. READ_ME.txt turns a break-in into a ticket

Once the names are branded, the malware needs a voice. READ_ME.txt is that voice. It sits in the same folders as the locked files so the first sort puts help next to harm. On many machines a text file sorts near the top, especially with a name in capitals. You open it because it looks like the only thing that still speaks English.

The body is short enough to finish before a relative walks into the room. Encrypted with RedStar. Send some bitcoins or some good coffee. Contact this Proton mailbox. Each beat closes a door. The first line closes “maybe Windows just glitched.” The bitcoin line closes “maybe it is a simple rename.” The coffee joke closes “maybe this is too sloppy to be real.” The inbox closes “maybe there is a local tool.” That is a lot of work for three lines.

Notice what the note does not give you. It does not give you a company, a refund policy, or a way to prove the other side will ever send a key. It does not give you a deadline. It does not give you a test decrypt. It does not give you a filled unique ID. It does not give you a wallet. It does not give you a $ amount. It gives you a tone that says this is already decided, and a joke that says you can talk. That tone is the product. Read the file as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep it on disk.

3. Files have been encrypted with RedStar is the opening shout

The first line of the sample is a headline, not a technician. Files have been encrypted with RedStar names the disaster and the costume in one breath. You are supposed to feel outmatched before you have even reached the contact line. A short sentence does that work. A brand-shaped name does that work. Together they make the inbox feel like the only adult move left.

The shout also travels. Search ads will recycle it. Commenters will paste it. A later “RedStar helper” will recite it so they sound close to your Documents folder. Reciting a headline is not a decryptor. It is proof they can read. Keep the line as an identifier when you describe the incident. Do not treat it as a diagnosis you have to obey. Do not treat it as a product name you should look up on a company site.

4. The coffee line is meant to make you talk

After the shout, the note rests on a joke. Send me some bitcoins or some good coffee. That pair is meant to end the argument you have not even started, and to start a conversation you should not have. A ransom that sounds like a person is still a ransom. A joke about coffee is how they get people who think of themselves as too careful to pay a big crew. If it feels informal, maybe a reply will be informal too. That is the point.

You do not need to argue with a text file about drinks. You need to stop treating the file as a technician, and stop treating the writer as a pal. Leave 1.jpg.RedStar named as it is. Leave READ_ME.txt where it is. The coffee line is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure. It is not a $ menu. It is not a reason to mail redstarme@proton.me “just to ask what they actually want.”

5. redstarme@proton.me is the door they want you to walk through

The recovery step in the sample is mail. Contact: [Redstarme@proton.me]. That is the whole door. It looks like support because support uses email. Criminal shops use email too, because a thread is where a price becomes a negotiation and a locked photo becomes a sample they asked you to attach. A missing $ amount makes that first mail feel necessary. It is not necessary.

Do not write that inbox. Do not create a throwaway account “just to see.” Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the extension. They already chose the note name. A photo of READ_ME.txt sitting next to 1.jpg.RedStar does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.

If someone later says they will “talk to RedStar for you” through that same address, that is a broker pitch. Brokers need you in the same funnel. You do not owe them a seat. Report the incident through official desks. Let counsel decide if contact is ever required for a specific legal reason. That decision is not yours to make from the Documents folder at midnight.

6. Proton.me is a mailbox, not a help desk

The @proton.me ending is doing costume work. People have heard of Proton. People trust encrypted mail. The locker borrows that trust the same way it borrows the word readme. A real mail provider did not lock your photos. A real mail provider will not decrypt vacation.jpg.RedStar because you forwarded the note. Do not open a ticket with Proton as if redstarme@proton.me were a staff account. Do not assume a proton.me address is safer than a random domain. It is still the people who wrote the demand.

If a later helper says “we can reach them on Proton,” they are selling a conversation, not a key. If a later helper says they are Proton support, they are lying. Keep the mailbox string in the incident record. Then stop using it as a door. 100% of useful work from here happens away from that inbox.

7. Bitcoin is named, then left blank

The note says bitcoins. It does not say how many. It does not say which wallet. That is a finished sales trick even when it looks unfinished. Naming the coin tells you the market. Leaving the amount blank tells you the next step is mail. Plenty of lockers hide the figure until you write. This one hides the figure and the address, then jokes so you write sooner.

Do not fill those blanks. Do not search “RedStar bitcoin wallet” and paste the first long string you see. Do not let a recovery shop “complete the note” for a $ deposit. Do not open an exchange account tonight because a three-line file mentioned coin. A blank checkout is still a checkout. Paying $ into a later wallet someone claims belongs to this strain is still paying the people who locked the files, or paying a second thief standing in the same doorway.

8. No wallet and no $ figure keep you guessing

Guessing is the product. Without a printed price, every hour feels like you might be about to learn the real number. Without a printed wallet, every helper can offer “the real one.” That gap is where copycats work. Someone will publish a long string and call it the RedStar wallet. Someone will sell a “connector” that is just more malware. Someone will ask you to run a command so they can “reach the operator on your behalf.” None of that is a reason to finish their sentence.

The sample used for this page does not reprint an address, because the sample never had one. Do not invent one. A missing $ amount is not a discount. A missing wallet is not an invitation to crowdsource one. If your own copy of READ_ME.txt later shows extra lines a neighbor’s copy did not have, keep the file. Do not tidy it. Extra lines can be a second payload. They are still not instructions you should carry out.

9. Third parties will sell a RedStar conversation

After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt RedStar or “all .RedStar files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote READ_ME.txt so they sound close to the case. They will mention coffee. They will mention bitcoins. They will mention redstarme@proton.me as if they already called the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a $ deposit.

A demo that “unlocks one file” is not proof they can unlock the vacation photo. Anyone can open one junk file they control. Anyone can send you a wallet string that makes an exchange window appear. An exchange window is not Photos opening vacation.jpg again. If a later message skips the original inbox and asks for coin over ordinary mail, that is still the same market, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Do not answer. Do not help them invent a wallet the original note never printed.

A real public decryptor, when one exists, shows up on an official project page that already existed before your incident. It does not need a $ send. It does not need redstarme@proton.me. If the pitch is “we can decrypt, pay us first,” you are still in the market the ransomware created. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the RedStar key” as a second sales pitch. Reciting the coffee joke is not a key.

10. Payment and mailing that inbox close nothing

Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the $ and disappear. They can send a string that only makes a decryptor show an error. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. A mail thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox. You cannot leave a review on a Proton mailbox they can abandon tomorrow.

Mailing redstarme@proton.me is the free version of the same dead end. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Starting a thread does not rebuild a JPEG. It only keeps you in their story while the rest of the disk still needs a real plan. A joke about coffee does not make that plan friendlier. It makes the checkout easier to start.

If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead. If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. Change passwords from a clean device. Watch bank and email alerts. Opening that inbox again is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the note never printed a wallet and never named a $ figure.

What To Do If Your Files End in .RedStar

Do not pay. Do not mail redstarme@proton.me. That address is not Proton support. Do not invent a Bitcoin address to finish READ_ME.txt. Do not invent a $ amount because the coffee line left the price blank. Do not type a wallet from a later page into an exchange, a “wallet checker,” or a form a stranger sends back. Do not send proof of payment. Do not send a test file. If you already sent a message before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to “hold the original ask” for anyone who quotes the note.

• STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove for Ransomware and Unwanted Programs
• STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Trojans and other Malware
• STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware
• STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner
• STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.

In this first step, we will download and run Rkill to terminate suspicious programs that may be running on your computer.

RKill is a program that was developed at BleepingComputer.com that attempts to terminate known malware processes so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections. When RKill runs it will kill malware processes and then removes incorrect executable associations and fixes policies that stop us from using certain tools.

1. Download Rkill.

   You can download RKill to your computer from the below link. When at the download page, click on the Download Now button labeled iExplore.exe. We are downloading a renamed version of Rkill (iExplore.exe) because some malware will not allow processes to run unless they have a certain filename.

   

   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download Rkill)

2. Run RKill.

   After downloading, double-click the iExplore.exe icon to kill malicious processes. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   The program may take some time to search for and end various malware programs.

   

   When it is finished, the black window will close automatically and a log file will open. Do not restart your computer. Proceed to the next step in this guide.

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove Ransomware and Unwanted Programs

In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your PC in just a few minutes.

1. Download Malwarebytes

   Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.

   

   DOWNLOAD MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS (FREE)
   
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install Malwarebytes

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

   The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:

   • Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.

     

   • Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.

     

   • When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.

     

   • On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.

     

4. Enable “Scan for Rootkits”

   Before scanning, turn on rootkit detection so Malwarebytes can find even the most hidden threats. Click the Settings gear icon on the left side of the screen.

   

   In the settings menu, find “Scan for rootkits” and click the toggle so it turns blue.

   

   Done? Click “Dashboard” in the left pane to return to the main screen.

5. Start the Scan

   Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.

   

6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take several minutes. Feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.

   

7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found — malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.

   

   Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.

   

8. Restart Your Computer

   Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, your PC is clean and you can continue with the next steps in this guide.

   

STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Rootkits and other Malware

In this third step, while the computer is in normal back, we will download and run a scan with HitmanPro to remove Trojans, rootkits, and other malicious programs.

HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner — it’s designed to catch what your main antivirus might have missed. Instead of relying on a single detection engine, it checks the behavior of files in the locations where malware usually hides. Anything suspicious gets sent to the cloud, where it’s analyzed by two of the best antivirus engines available: Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Good news: scanning is completely free, with no limits. You only need a license when it’s time to remove what was found — and even then, you can activate a free one-time 30-day trial to clean your PC at no cost. (A full license is $24.95 per year for 1 PC.)

1. Download HitmanPro

   Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.

   DOWNLOAD HITMANPRO (FREE SCAN)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install HitmanPro

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the file: “hitmanpro.exe” on 32-bit Windows, or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” on 64-bit Windows.

   

   If a User Account Control pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click “Yes” to continue.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts

   On the HitmanPro start screen, click “Next” to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required — it goes straight to work.

   

   

4. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.
   

5. Review the Results and Click “Next”

   When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click “Next” to remove the detected threats.

   

6. Click “Activate Free License”

   To remove the malicious files, click the “Activate free license” button. This starts your free 30-day trial — no payment details needed — and unlocks the full cleanup.
   

   When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click Next, then click Reboot if prompted. If there’s no reboot prompt, just click Close — your PC is clean.

STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware

In this next step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove malicious browser policies and unwanted browser extensions from your computer.

AdwCleaner is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars — the exact threats that mainstream antivirus programs often miss. It also includes tools that repair the damage malware leaves behind, like hijacked browser settings and malicious policies. It’s a quick scan that’s well worth running.

1. Download AdwCleaner

   Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.

   

   DOWNLOAD ADWCLEANER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run AdwCleaner

   Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file named “adwcleaner_x.x.x.exe“. There’s no installation — the program starts right away.
   

   If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click “Yes“. When the license agreement appears, click I agree to continue.

   

3. Enable “Reset Chrome policies”

   This setting removes malicious browser policies — a trick malware uses to lock your browser settings so you can’t change them back. Click “Settings” on the left side of the window, then turn on “Reset Chrome policies“.

   

4. Start the Scan

   Click “Dashboard” on the left side of the window, then click the “Scan” button.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes — it’s one of the fastest scanners around.

   

6. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan finishes, AdwCleaner will list everything it found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the malicious items at once.

   

7. Click “Continue” to Finish the Cleanup

   Save any open work first — AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you’re ready, click the “Continue” button.
   

   AdwCleaner will now delete all detected malware from your computer. If it asks you to restart your PC, allow it — your computer will be clean when you log back in.

STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner

This final step involves installing and running a scan with ESET Online Scanner to check for any additional malicious programs that may be installed on the computer..

ESET Online Scanner is a free second-opinion scanner that performs a deep, full-system check for viruses, trojans, rootkits, and other malware. We use it as the final step because it’s thorough — if anything slipped past the previous scans, ESET will find it. A clean result here means your computer is malware-free.

1. Download ESET Online Scanner

   Click the button below to download ESET Online Scanner.

   

   DOWNLOAD ESET ONLINE SCANNER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run the Installer

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click “esetonlinescanner.exe“.
   

3. Install ESET Online Scanner

   On the start screen, select your language from the drop-down menu and click Get started.

   

   On the Terms of use screen, click Accept.
   

   Choose your preferences for the Customer Experience Improvement Program and the Detection feedback system (either choice is fine), then click Continue.
   

4. Start a Full Scan

   Click Full Scan — this checks your entire computer, not just the common hiding spots.

   

   Select Enable for Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications — this lets ESET catch adware and bundled junk programs, not just viruses. Then click Start scan.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   ESET will now check every file on your computer. Because it’s a full scan, this can take a while — often an hour or more, depending on how much data you have. Leave it running in the background and check on it from time to time.

   

6. Review the Results

   When the scan completes, the Found and resolved detections screen appears. Any threats found were automatically cleaned and quarantined — there’s nothing extra you need to do. Click View detailed results if you want to see exactly what was removed.
   

   If ESET found nothing — congratulations, your computer has passed the final check and is malware-free.

STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware virus because the private key which is needed to unlock the encrypted files is only available through the attackers. However, below we’ve listed three options you can use to try and recover your files.

Option 1: Search a decryption tool for this ransomware

The cybersecurity community is constantly working to create ransomware decryption tools, so you can try to search these sites for updates:

• https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/
• https://decrypter.emsisoft.com/
• https://noransom.kaspersky.com/
• https://www.avast.com/ransomware-decryption-tools

Option 2: Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free to recover the encrypted files

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free can restore files and repair corrupted files with simple clicks. Its powerful scanning algorithms can identify and retrieve huge file type library, including all of the popular video files, audio files, photos, and document formats.
While the free version only allows you to recover 2 GB of data, this can be helpful to see if the recovery is possible and restore back the most important files from your computer.

1. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.

   You can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free by clicking the link below.

   

   EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD FREE DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard)

2. Double-click on the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free setup file.

   When EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

   

   You may be presented with a User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow EaseUS to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free installation.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation begins, click on the “Install Now” as seen in the image below.
   

   When your EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation completes, click the “Start Now” button to start the program.
   

4. Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files.

   Choose the drive or folder where you are the encrypted files that you want to recover and click “Scan“.
   

5. Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.

   EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will now scan your computer files that can be restored. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

6. Find the files you want to recover.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan is finished scanning it will show a screen that displays the files that can be recovered. This tool can recover a lot of data, use the “Filter” button to quickly filter specific file types and find the files that you want to recover.
   

   Click the “Preview” button or double-click on a file for a full preview.
   

7. Select your files and click “Recover”.

   Finally, select the the files you want to recover and click “Recover“.
   
   Choose a safe location to save all the files.
   
   The free version only allow you to recover 2 GB of data, however, this will allow you to recover the most important files and see if EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can correctly recover them.
   

Option 3: Try to restore your files with ShadowExplorer

This ransomware will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.

1. Download ShadowExplorer.

   You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link.

   SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK
   (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”)

2. Install ShadowExplorer.

   Double-click on the ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.
   

3. Select snapshot date.

   Open ShadowExplorer and then from the top bar select the drive where the files that you want to save are located, then select from the snapshot available one previous to this infection.

   

4. Export the files that you want to recover.

   Once you have found a copy of the original file or folder, right-click on it and the select “Export”. A window will prompt you where you want to save the file or folder.
   

Keep every .RedStar name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.RedStar back to 1.jpg, or vacation.jpg.RedStar back to vacation.jpg, or invoice-2026.pdf.RedStar back to a normal PDF, or taxes.xlsx.RedStar back to a spreadsheet, or family.mp4.RedStar back to a video. Stripping the extra ending is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better. The original name is already sitting in front of .RedStar. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost.

Keep READ_ME.txt with the locked files. Keep at least one .RedStar sample next to it. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not fill in a wallet so the flyer looks complete. Do not add a $ figure so the coffee joke has a price. The blank, or any extra line on your disk, is part of how you prove this was this strain and not a different locker that only sounds similar. Keep the contact marks as identifiers: redstarme@proton.me, the encrypted-with-RedStar line, and the bitcoins-or-coffee ask. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.

Do not pay. Do not mail that inbox. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A joke about coffee is still a ransom. A calm Proton address is still the people who locked the files, not a support desk. If a later message quotes READ_ME.txt and offers “the real wallet,” that is still the same shop. If a later message skips the original inbox and asks for $ over a different address, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway.

If someone claims they can already decrypt RedStar files for a fee because they can recite the coffee line and redstarme@proton.me, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention a media brand, a studio, or “Proton recovery” as proof they “already called the crew,” they read the same note you did. This locker is not a media brand. Do not answer. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer.

If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .RedStar type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.

The Bottom Line

RedStar ransomware is a locker with a readable filename, a tiny readme that jokes about coffee, and a checkout that names bitcoins without printing a wallet. It keeps the old name and appends .RedStar. 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.RedStar. The note is READ_ME.txt. It says the files have been encrypted with RedStar, asks for some bitcoins or some good coffee, and points you at redstarme@proton.me. There is no printed $ amount. There is no printed wallet. There is no Session handle. There is no onion address. This page will not invent those. There is no printed deadline. There is no test decrypt. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. This is not a newspaper, not a studio, and not Proton support.

Do not pay. Do not mail that inbox. Do not invent a wallet. Do not invent a $ figure. Do not rename the pile in bulk. Keep READ_ME.txt and a .RedStar sample. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .RedStar, plus READ_ME.txt with a coffee joke, a bitcoin ask, and redstarme@proton.me, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the blanks or pretends the extra ending is a brand you already knew.