SquadLocker EXPOSED: .SquadLocker Files, a $300 Ask, and Telegram

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.SquadLocker. A small text file named SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt is sitting in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there.

The desktop may not look like yours either. After the lock, this strain can change the wallpaper so the first thing you see is a threat, not your usual background. That is the trap, not a glitch. SquadLocker ransomware locks the files first. Then it talks like a recovery desk. The extra ending on everyday files is the lock. The text file is the conversation. The wallpaper is the billboard that makes you look.

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

SquadLocker ransomware is a file locker that wants a payment and a private chat. The lock is the extra ending on photos, invoices, and exports. The conversation is SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt. The squeeze is a $300 Bitcoin ask, a Telegram handle, and a claim that backups are gone and data was stolen. Researchers first flagged this strain as an emerging locker. The visible artifacts are clear enough for triage even if the rest of the marketing around it is still noisy.

If you are staring at a pile of .SquadLocker 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 storefront. Stay with the folder, not with the script.

The costume is simple on purpose. The locker keeps the old filename so you recognize the loss. It drops a ReadMe that talks like a help file. It can change the wallpaper so you cannot miss the event. Then it names famous algorithms, claims your backups were deleted or encrypted, claims sensitive data was taken, and prints a $300 price in Bitcoin. Contact is Telegram at @SquadLocker, also written as the SquadLocker Telegram account. That is the whole checkout.

The note also asks for Bitcoin to an address printed on the page. Public copies of that note redact the wallet. This page will not invent one. A string of letters that looks like a wallet is still not a receipt, and it is not a reason to open a messenger they own.

The .SquadLocker name is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. This one uses .SquadLocker. 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.SquadLocker. 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.

In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.SquadLocker. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.SquadLocker. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.SquadLocker. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.SquadLocker. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it.

Windows may now call the type a SquadLocker file and offer you a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk the bytes back into a JPEG. Double-clicking 1.jpg.SquadLocker does not open the photo. Spreadsheet software does not open taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker. A video player does not open family.mp4.SquadLocker. The listing still has one object per file. The shock lands because the names still look like yours. The lock is in the content, not in the label.

Do not treat that readable name as a fix. Do not strip .SquadLocker 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 chat.

The same readable names also make a later scam easier. Anyone who sees a pile of .SquadLocker files can pretend they already “have your case.” They can quote 1.jpg.SquadLocker back to you. They can mention SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt so they sound close. They can offer a paid unlock. The extension is branding. The leftover original name is branding. None of that is a hint that the file can be renamed back to normal.

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

The instruction sheet is a text file named SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt. It is dropped where the locked files live, so you cannot miss it. 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 official enough to follow.

The filename is built to look like paperwork. ReadMe. SquadLocker. A .txt ending Windows already trusts. Plenty of real software drops a text file. This one uses that habit against you. It is meant to be the first thing you double-click when the folder already looks wrong, and when the wallpaper has already told you something is broken.

The body of the note is a script. Files encrypted. Backups deleted or encrypted. Sensitive data allegedly taken. AES-256 and RSA-4096. Pay $300 in Bitcoin. Then Telegram @SquadLocker with proof. Each line has a job. The encryption line is there so you feel outmatched. The backup line is there so you do not try the copies you might still have. The theft line is there so even a shop with backups still feels the squeeze. The $300 line is checkout. The Telegram line is the aisle they want you in.

Keep the note as evidence. Do not treat it as a to-do list. Do not tidy the filename. Do not shorten it to “the readme” when you write the incident down. Copy SquadLocker_ReadMe.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 in chat.

The new wallpaper is a billboard

This strain also changes the desktop wallpaper. That is not decoration. A changed background is a billboard. You do not have to open Documents to know something is wrong. The lock walks into the room you already live in. People who would have ignored a new .txt file still see the wallpaper the next time the screen wakes.

The wallpaper is pressure in a costume you cannot close with one click. A note can be minimized. A folder can be left for later. A desktop image sits there while you look for a charger, while you call a friend, while you try to remember whether last night’s backup finished. That is the point. The operators want the event to feel complete before you have even read SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt.

Do not treat a new wallpaper as proof that every copy of every file is already gone. Do not treat it as proof that they are watching you type. It is a scare surface. Change it back later from a clean account if you need the machine to be usable for reporting. Do not let the image set the pace of the next hour.

AES-256 and RSA-4096 are a costume, not a key in your hand

The note claims the files were locked with AES-256 and RSA-4096. Those strings are famous on purpose. They show up in product pages, in exam dumps, in other ransom notes. Dropping both in one paragraph is meant to sound like a lab report. It is meant to stop you from thinking a rename, a repair tool, or a “SquadLocker decryptor” ad can walk the bytes back.

What the note is actually selling is helplessness. If the lock is “impossible” without their private key, then their Telegram is the only aisle. If the lock is “impossible,” then $300 starts to feel like the last remaining lever. Naming two algorithms does not put a key on your desk. It does not prove the implementation. It does not prove they still have a key. It does not prove they will send one if you write @SquadLocker.

You do not need to argue cryptography with a text file. You need to stop treating the file as a technician. Leave 1.jpg.SquadLocker named as it is. Leave SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt where it is. The algorithms printed in that note are part of the pitch. They are not a recovery procedure.

“Backups deleted or encrypted” is a fence around the shop

The note says backups were deleted or encrypted. Read that again as a sales line. If backups are gone, their chat is the only shop. If backups are poisoned, the copies you might still have become too scary to try. The warning is not a lab result. It is a fence around the storefront.

Some lockers do hunt Volume Shadow copies, attached disks, and obvious backup folders. Some notes copy that sentence from the last job whether the code did the work or not. Either way, you should not restore onto a still-infected machine. That is ordinary incident sense. It is not the same as throwing away an offline disk they never mounted.

A trusted restore path, when you have one, is not theirs to veto. An offline copy they never touched is not theirs to poison with a sentence. The note wants you to treat every option except @SquadLocker as sabotage. That is how a monopoly talks, not how a recovery team talks.

The stolen-data line is a second bill

The note also claims sensitive data was stolen. That is the second hook. Even a shop that can restore files from backup still feels that sentence in the stomach. Photos can be restored. A leak threat cannot be unfelt. The operators know that. They print the theft line so $300 is not only about opening taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker. It is about buying silence they cannot prove they will keep.

A leak claim can be true. Crews do steal mail, payroll, and scans before they lock files. A leak claim can also be a bluff copied from a template. Either way, writing Telegram does not give you a receipt that the copies were deleted. The CISA StopRansomware Guide is blunt about this kind of squeeze. Paying does not ensure the files come back, does not ensure the systems are clean, and does not ensure the data stays unpublished.

Believe the risk enough to treat it as a possible breach. Tell counsel and your incident lead if this is a company. Do not believe the promise enough to buy a deletion you cannot verify. There is no named public leak site in the facts used for this page, and this page will not invent one. A missing leak blog is not proof the copies were never taken. It is also not a reason to start a chat.

$300 in Bitcoin is a price tag, not a repair

The printed ransom is $300 USD in Bitcoin. That number is small on purpose. It is cheap enough to feel “reasonable” next to a tax folder, a photo library, or a weekend of lost work. It is cheap enough that a person who would never pay a six-figure crew still thinks, maybe this one time. Cheap is a tactic. It is not a discount from a vendor who will still be there on Monday.

Three hundred dollars does not buy a contract. It does not buy a clean machine. It does not buy a guarantee that vacation.jpg.SquadLocker will open. It does not buy a guarantee that the theft claim goes away. It buys a Bitcoin transfer to people who already locked your files, plus a Telegram thread they can drop whenever they like.

The note asks you to send that $300 to a Bitcoin address on the page, then contact them with proof. Public copies of the note redact that address. This page will not print a fake one, and it will not guess at missing characters. If your copy shows a wallet string, treat it as an identifier for a report, not as a payment instruction you should carry out. Do not type it into an exchange “just to see the fee.” Do not photograph it into a group chat. Do not paste it into a second site that offers to “check if the wallet is real.”

Telegram @SquadLocker is the checkout counter

The printed contact is Telegram at @SquadLocker, also written as the SquadLocker Telegram account. That is the aisle. Email would leave a record you could show someone else. A public form would leave a timestamp. A private messenger puts you in a room they own, on an account they can delete, with a chat they can screenshot and reuse.

Do not open Telegram today because SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt told you to. Do not hunt @SquadLocker to “see if it looks real.” Do not join the SquadLocker Telegram account to read the pin. Looking real is the job of a channel. A logo, a post history, a sample decrypt screenshot: all of that is storefront design. None of it is a decryptor on your disk.

The handle is branding, the same way .SquadLocker is branding. Anyone can copy @SquadLocker into a second account. Anyone can stand up a second the SquadLocker Telegram account lookalike after a wave of locked folders. Writing the first message does not start a warranty. It starts a negotiation you cannot enforce, on a platform they chose because it is hard to unwind. The $300 line is how they make that first message feel cheap. Cheap first messages are how larger bills start.

How The Scam Works

You do not need a lab notebook to understand the trap. You need the order the victim sees. The renamed files, the ReadMe, the wallpaper, the algorithm names, the backup claim, the theft claim, the $300 Bitcoin ask, and the Telegram handle arrive as one package. Here is that package in the order it usually lands.

1. One reachable account is enough

Someone on the machine still has a session the attackers can use. That can be a stolen remote-desktop login, a phishing mail from last month, or a share that was never meant to be open. This page will not walk through those paths. The part you can see is the aftermath: one account was enough, and the note now speaks as if the whole disk is already theirs.

From the chair in front of the screen, it feels sudden. From the crew’s side, the ReadMe is the last page of a longer stay. CISA warns that a ransomware event can be the noisy end of an earlier compromise. That is why “reboot and hope” is a poor first move on a business network. The locker may be the only thing you can see. It may not be the only thing that is there.

2. Files pick up .SquadLocker and stop opening

The locker walks the folders it can reach and rewrites the files it cares about. Documents, images, archives, and exports are the usual targets because those are the files people miss first. When it finishes a file, it leaves the old name in place and hangs .SquadLocker on the end.

The result in Explorer is the scene this page is built around. 1.jpg is still readable inside 1.jpg.SquadLocker. invoice-2026.pdf is still readable inside invoice-2026.pdf.SquadLocker. That is not a courtesy. Recognition is the product. If the files became random blocks with no names, you might delay. If the names are still yours, you feel the loss immediately, and you look for the file that explains it.

The same listing trains you to believe a small edit could reverse it. The old extension is still sitting there. Photos still “should” open a JPG. Excel still “should” open an XLSX. The extra ending looks like a mistake you can clip off. That is why people try a rename before they try anything else. The lock is not in the last eleven characters. Clipping .SquadLocker off taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker does not give you a spreadsheet. It gives you a damaged object with a prettier name.

Shared folders make the scene look bigger than one PC. A mapped drive, a NAS share, or a user profile that syncs to a server can carry the new ending across the office in one pass. That is why a note can talk about stolen data and sound plausible even when the hit is a six-person shop. A single unlocked account on a share is enough for that sentence to land.

3. SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt turns a break-in into a help file

Once the folder looks wrong, the note has to look like the answer. SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt is built for that moment. It is a .txt file, so Windows opens it in Notepad. It does not look like an installer. It does not look like a second payload. It looks like instructions. You are already in a case. You should already be reading.

A help file is allowed to tell you what not to do. A help file is allowed to name a support channel. A help file is allowed to warn you that waiting will make things worse. The note borrows that voice. It is not support. It is the operators introducing themselves as the only vendor left, using the folder they just broke as the waiting room.

Save a copy of that note on a clean machine if you can do it safely. The file is evidence. It helps a responder match the strain. It is also the document police and insurers ask for. Do not follow the instructions on it. Do not use it as a checklist for the $300 payment.

4. The wallpaper makes the lock impossible to ignore

Changing the wallpaper is the part that happens even if you never open Documents. It is how a locker occupies the whole screen, not just one folder. People who keep a clean desktop still see it. People who never look at Downloads still see it. The image is there so the ReadMe does not have to wait for curiosity.

Treat the new background as a symptom, the same way you treat .SquadLocker names as a symptom. Do not spend the first hour hunting a “wallpaper fixer.” Do not download a theme pack from a search ad that now knows you typed the strain name. The wallpaper is a sign the machine was under someone else’s control. Containment comes before cosmetics.

5. Algorithm names sell a monopoly

AES-256 and RSA-4096 arrive as a pair so the note sounds finished. Hybrid encryption. Strong keys. No way home without them. That speech is older than this strain. It is there so you skip backups, skip reporting, and skip the person who would tell you to leave the share alone until it is contained.

Random “SquadLocker decryptor” ads are a real second scam, and you should not run those either. That does not make the criminals your IT department. Naming two algorithms does not prove they implemented either one well. It does not prove a $300 transfer will produce a working tool. It proves they read the same scare script other lockers use.

6. The backup line and the theft line do two different jobs

The backup sentence tries to kill the honest restore. The theft sentence tries to bill you even if the honest restore still exists. Together they cover both kinds of victim. A home user who only cares about photos is told the copies are gone. A business that can rebuild from last night is told the data already left the building. $300 is then framed as the cheap way out of both stories.

You can respect the risk without obeying the flyer. Isolate the machine. Keep the locked files. Keep SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt. Ask whether any backup is truly offline. Tell the people who handle incidents if this is work data. None of that requires Telegram. None of that requires a Bitcoin transfer. The note prints those claims so you skip that work and start a chat while you are still shaking.

7. $300 is the bait that makes Telegram feel cheap

Plenty of lockers hide the $ figure until you write. This one prints $300 up front. That is not kindness. A printed price removes the last excuse for delay. You do not have to “ask what it costs.” You already know. The remaining step is the transfer and the Telegram proof. The note has already done the quoting. Your job, in their script, is checkout.

Low ransoms also travel well. A $300 ask is easy to repeat in a family group, easy to round up at an ATM, easy to treat like a parking ticket. It is still a payment to the people who locked family.mp4.SquadLocker. It still funds the next copy of the same locker. It still does not produce a warranty. Cheap is how they get people who think of themselves as too careful to pay a big crew.

The Bitcoin address on the page is the pipe. This page will not invent that string. If your note shows one, copy it only into an incident record. Do not complete the send. Do not “test” a small amount to see if they answer. A test payment is still a payment. It still tells them this victim pays.

8. Telegram is where the rest of the script lives

@SquadLocker is the name on the counter. the SquadLocker Telegram account is the sign over the shop. The note wants proof of the $300 send in that chat, then a decryptor in return. That sequence is the product. Contact is how a locked folder becomes a negotiation. Negotiation is how a second $ demand can appear even after a printed $300. Payment is how the next victim is funded.

A handle is cheap to copy. A channel is cheap to clone. After a wave of .SquadLocker files, copycats will stand in the same doorway. They will quote the $300 line. They will quote AES-256 and RSA-4096. They will ask for a test file. They will ask for a deposit to “hold the original price.” The original operators and the copycats want the same first step from you: open the chat.

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 SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt sitting next to 1.jpg.SquadLocker does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.

9. Payment closes nothing, and a second shop will offer the same miracle

Paying is not a guarantee. That sentence is not a slogan. It is the recorded experience of victims across ransomware families. The people who send the note can take the $300 and disappear. They can send a tool that only unlocks a few files. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. A Telegram thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal handle.

Even when a key arrives in some other campaign, it can fail on some file types, stop halfway, or demand a second payment. The same access that delivered SquadLocker the first time can still be open. A payment teaches the operators that this victim pays. It does not close the hole that let them in. People who pay sometimes get a second bill for “deletion” after the theft line has already done its work.

After a ransomware incident, search results and inbox ads fill up with companies that say they can decrypt SquadLocker or “all .SquadLocker files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote the note pattern back to you. They will mention SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt so they sound close to the case. They will mention the $300 Bitcoin line as if they already called the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.

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 $300 Bitcoin send. It does not need Telegram. It does not need the SquadLocker Telegram account. 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 SquadLocker key” as a second sales pitch.

The No More Ransom project puts the rule in plain language. Paying is not guaranteed to bring the files back, and you should not pay. That is the line on the official landing page run with Europol and the project partners. Use that page. Do not use SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt as a vendor.

What To Do If Your Files End in .SquadLocker

Do not pay the $300. Do not open Telegram today because SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt told you to. Do not hunt @SquadLocker. Do not join the SquadLocker Telegram account. Do not copy a handle out of the note and paste it into a messenger. Do not type a Bitcoin address from the 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 $300” 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.
   

Then stay with this strain. The generic steps above are the floor. The extra work below is how you keep SquadLocker from turning into a second loss.

1. Keep every .SquadLocker name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.SquadLocker back to 1.jpg, or vacation.jpg.SquadLocker back to vacation.jpg, or invoice-2026.pdf.SquadLocker back to a normal PDF, or taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker back to a spreadsheet, or family.mp4.SquadLocker 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 .SquadLocker. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost.
2. Keep SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt with the locked files. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not invent a unique ID string if you are writing the incident down. Keep the contact marks as identifiers: Telegram @SquadLocker and the SquadLocker Telegram account, plus the $300 Bitcoin ask. If your copy of the note shows a wallet address, copy that string only into the incident record. Do not pay it. Those artifacts are how you prove this was SquadLocker and not a different locker that only sounds similar. They are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.
3. Do not treat the wallpaper as a separate emergency. Photograph it for the report if it still shows the threat, then leave cosmetics for a clean account later. A new background is a symptom that the machine was under someone else’s control. It is not a reason to stay logged in so you can “make the $300 window.”
4. Do not pay $300. Do not open Telegram. Do not write @SquadLocker to ask if the price is still $300. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A printed $300 is still a ransom. A calm handle is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt and offers “the real Telegram,” that is still the same shop. If a later message skips Telegram and asks for the $300 over ordinary email, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway.
5. If someone claims they can already decrypt SquadLocker files for a fee because they can recite AES-256 and RSA-4096, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention the backup-deletion line or the stolen-data line as proof they “already called the crew,” they read the same note you did. Do not answer. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer.
6. If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .SquadLocker type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.
7. A $300 sticker in the note is not a reason to skip the CISA ransomware reporting page or a report at the FBI IC3 desk. The price is theirs. The files are already locked. Another afternoon of panic will not change the bytes in vacation.jpg.SquadLocker.

The Bottom Line

SquadLocker ransomware is a locker with a readable filename and a note that wants $300 and a private chat. It keeps the old name and appends .SquadLocker. In the sample this page uses, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.SquadLocker. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.SquadLocker. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.SquadLocker. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.SquadLocker. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.SquadLocker. The note is SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt. The desktop wallpaper can change so you see the event before you open the folder.

The note claims AES-256 and RSA-4096. It says backups were deleted or encrypted. It claims data was stolen. It asks for $300 USD in Bitcoin to an address on the page. Public copies redact that wallet, and this page will not invent one. Contact is Telegram @SquadLocker / the SquadLocker Telegram account. Researchers first flagged the strain. There is no public free decryptor known for it.

Do not pay the $300. Do not open those chats. Do not join that channel. Do not type a wallet into an exchange they pointed at. Do not rename the pile in bulk. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .SquadLocker, plus a SquadLocker_ReadMe.txt file that sells a $300 Bitcoin ask and a Telegram handle, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone in that chat asks you to prove the payment.