{"id":403908,"date":"2026-08-20T13:17:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=403908"},"modified":"2026-08-20T13:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T13:17:15","slug":"aur0ra-ransomware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/aur0ra-ransomware\/","title":{"rendered":"Aur0ra EXPOSED: No New Extension, !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt, and a Blank Access Key"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. The vacation shot should still be <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong>. The invoice should still be <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong>. The tax sheet should still be <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong>. The names look right. The icons look right. You double-click <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> anyway, because something in the folder feels off, and the photo will not open. <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> will not open. <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong> will not open. <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong> will not open.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad4114490718\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_400588\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then you notice a text file you did not create. It sits at the top of the listing because the name starts with exclamation marks. It is called <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>. README sounds like help. DO_NOT_DELETE sounds like a warning from your own machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad1131031949\" class=\"mwtadp1 mwtadentity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 50px;margin-bottom: 50px;\"> \r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7312657698\"><\/ins>\r\n <\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is the trap, not a glitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This page is for the hour those familiar names refuse to open. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so the note does not become your incident plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"860\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aur0ra-explorer.png\" alt=\"Documents after Aur0ra. Filenames look unchanged. !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt is the tell.\" class=\"wp-image-403901\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aur0ra-explorer.png 1400w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aur0ra-explorer-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aur0ra-explorer-1024x629.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Documents after Aur0ra. Filenames look unchanged. !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt is the tell.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad2591518299\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309747-ad_309691-placement_400589\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9589536513\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aur0ra ransomware, spelled with a zero in the name, locks the files first. Then it leaves the old name and the old type sitting in the listing. <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> stays <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> stays <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong>. Then it drops <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> and talks like a leak desk and a recovery desk at the same time. The note is a storefront. It claims the operators already downloaded confidential information files. It says your files are encrypted. It tells you to contact them via tor browser at a Tor website link. It prints Your access key: and then leaves the line blank. This page will not invent an onion address, a wallet, a Session ID, or a $ figure to finish those blanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are staring at a folder of ordinary names that will not open, plus 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. Stay with the folder, not with the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad2730160917\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_400597\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is Aur0ra from the 2020s, the strain also seen as Filecoder.Aur0ra. It is not the older Aurora ransomware covered in the published guide How to remove Aurora Ransomware. That older post is a different family. A search result that says Aurora is not a match just because four letters look the same. If someone later quotes that older guide as if it already solved your folder, they mixed the names. Keep the zero. The zero is how you tell them apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad1790488977\" class=\"mwtadp3 mwtadentity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"5910219726\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first tell is not a new ending. There is no new extension. In the sample used for this page, <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> is still <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> is still <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong>. <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong> is still <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong>. <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong> is still <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong>. <strong>family.mp4<\/strong> is still <strong>family.mp4<\/strong>. You can still read every name. You cannot open the files. Windows may still call the type a JPEG Image or a PDF File, because the label never changed. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> into the same folders. The exclamation marks shove it to the top of a Name sort. README wants the first click after the panic. DO_NOT_DELETE wants you to treat the flyer as sacred. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales page that also claims a leak. The flyer is meant to be opened. It is not meant to be trusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The body of that sample is short on purpose. We have downloaded confidential information files. Your files are encrypted. Contact us via tor browser at a Tor website link. Your access key: then a blank. That is the whole costume. There is no printed ransom amount. There is no printed deadline. There is no test decrypt. There is no wallet. There is no Session ID. There is no filled access key. The note does not need extra theater. A locked folder that still looks normal, plus a leak claim, plus a Tor door, is already a shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public copies leave the Tor website link blank. This page will not invent an onion URL to finish the sentence. A missing link in the copy you are reading is not a puzzle. It is a redaction. If your own file on disk still shows a string on that line, treat it as evidence for a report, not as a site you should open. Do not paste it into a Tor browser just to see the page.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad649487885\" class=\"mwtadp4 mwtadentity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"5910219726\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The access key line is the same kind of blank. The sample prints Your access key: and then a hyphen or an empty mark. This page will not invent a key to fill it. A blank key is not a missing ticket you should complete. It is part of how this sample actually looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is the whole pitch. A locked folder of names that never changed. A <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> file that claims stolen confidential files and encrypted files in the same breath. A Tor contact line with no address reprinted here. An access key line that stays blank. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to open that Tor link today because a text file told you to. There is no reason to pay a $ amount someone later invents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The names look unchanged, so the note is the first warning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. Aur0ra does not. There is no extra ending to scan for. <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> does not become 1.jpg.something. The extra cruelty is how ordinary the listing stays. You can still see the vacation photo name. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad1782700560\" class=\"mwtadp5 mwtadentity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8560433799\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why people lose the first hour. They reboot. They try another viewer. They drag <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> onto a second machine. They rename nothing, because nothing looks renamed, and they tell themselves Windows is just being Windows. A locker that keeps the old name is counting on that delay. The delay is the product. While you argue with Photos, the note sits at the top of the same folder and waits for the click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not treat a readable name as a fix. Do not assume a JPEG that still says .jpg is a JPEG you can repair with a viewer switch. Do not run a bulk repair tool you found in an ad because the names look healthy. The name is a label. The lock is in the content. Editing the label, or copying the broken file onto a clean disk to test it, 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 Tor window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The unchanged name also does advertising. Anyone who later sees <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> next to <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the note name back to you as if that were expertise. The note name is public. It is sitting in the folder. Quoting it proves nothing except that they can read a listing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt is a sales floor, not a help file<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ransom note is a plain text file with a name that sounds like documentation and a warning at the same time. <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a README. Plenty of installers say do not delete. This one uses both habits against you. It is meant to be the first English you can still read when the photos will not open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad797377431\" class=\"mwtadp6 mwtadentity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\r\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4034304343\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. DO NOT DELETE. A .txt ending Windows already trusts. The exclamation marks are not decoration. They are a sort trick. Paperwork that shouts is easier to obey than a threat that looks like a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> 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 opening a Tor site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The body is four beats. We have downloaded confidential information files. Your files are encrypted. Contact us via tor browser at a Tor website link. Your access key: then nothing. Each beat closes a door. The leak claim closes maybe they only locked a few photos. The encryption line closes maybe Windows just glitched. The Tor line closes maybe there is a local tool. The blank access key closes maybe I can wait overnight by making you feel you are already missing a ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stolen files plus encryption is the two-part threat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aur0ra does not only say the files are locked. The first sentence of the sample is a theft claim. We have downloaded confidential information files. That is double extortion in one line. The operators want you to feel two losses at once. The photos will not open. The private files, they say, are already in someone else&#8217;s hands. You are supposed to pay to unlock the disk and to stop a leak. The note never has to print a $ amount to make that pressure land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Treat the leak claim as a threat, not as a confirmed inventory. The flyer wants you to believe they already copied payroll, tax sheets, family scans, or client records. Maybe they did. Maybe they copied junk. Maybe the sentence is a template they drop on every machine. You cannot audit their stash from Documents. You also cannot disprove it by mailing them. Opening their Tor page does not give you a receipt of what they took. It gives them a visitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead before anyone starts a private chat with a Tor site. A leak claim is a legal event as well as a technical one. The people who wrote <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> do not get to run that meeting. Do not send them a sample of confidential files to prove what they already claim they stole. That is how you hand them a second copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The encryption half is the same shop, not a separate problem. Your files are encrypted is the second sentence, not a second incident. Do not split the work into pay for the leak and pay for the key. There is no printed price for either. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to start two negotiations because the note used two sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The access key line is blank<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sample ends with Your access key: and then a blank. In the copy used for this page the mark is a hyphen, or an empty place where a string would go. That blank is part of the sample. It is not a hole you are supposed to fill. This page will not invent an access key, a victim ID, or a Session ID to make the flyer look complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blanks are useful to criminals and to copycats. A later message will say your key is waiting on the Tor page. A later helper will generate a long string and call it the Aur0ra access key. A later form will ask you to paste a key you never had so they can look up your case. None of that is a reason to finish their sentence. If your own <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> on disk is blank there, it is blank. If your copy shows a string, keep the file. Do not tidy it. Do not type the string into a website, a chat, or a decryptor you just downloaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A filled key, when you actually have one on disk, is an identifier for a responder. It is not a password you redeem by opening Tor. It is not proof that a stranger already called the crew. Copy it into the incident record. Then leave it alone. A blank key is also an identifier. It tells a responder this sample matches the published flyer, not a different locker that prints a long ticket on every machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">This is Aur0ra, not the old Aurora guide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The name is the other trap, and it lives in search. Aur0ra is spelled with a zero. Filecoder.Aur0ra is the 2020s locker this page is about. Years earlier, a different family used the word Aurora with a letter o. That older strain already has a published guide titled How to remove Aurora Ransomware. That older post is not this incident. Mixing them is how you follow the wrong steps and miss the note sitting in your folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a search ad, a forum reply, or a paid helper says they already covered Aurora and then quotes a different note name, a different extension, or a decryptor that never mentions <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>, they are not talking about this folder. Ask for the zero. Ask for the note name. Ask whether the files kept their original names. If they cannot say those three things, they are reading the old guide, or they are guessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not let the older title become a comfort. How to remove Aurora Ransomware is a real published page about a different strain. It is not a free key for Filecoder.Aur0ra. It is not a reason to ignore the leak claim in this note. Keep the spelling when you write the incident down. Aur0ra, zero in the name. That is the label a responder can match. Aurora with an o is the other story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Tor line is a door, not a help desk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recovery step in the sample is a browser. Contact us via tor browser at a Tor website link. That is the whole door. It looks like privacy because Tor is a privacy tool. Criminal shops use Tor too, because a hidden site is where a blank access key becomes a login and a leak claim becomes a countdown they never printed in the text file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not open that link. Do not install Tor for this. Do not paste a string from the note into a search bar just to see if it is real. They already chose the note name. They already chose to leave the files looking normal. Visiting their site does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This page will not reprint an onion address. Public copies leave that line blank on purpose. If your copy on disk still shows a URL, treat it as evidence. Do not tidy a screenshot so the link looks easier to type. Do not send the link to a friend so they can check it for you. Checking is how a second machine joins the same shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad3793794900\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309748-ad_309691-placement_400590\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3906789406\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How The Attack Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shop is simple once you stop reading it as a rescue. Lock the files. Leave the old names in place so the listing still looks like yesterday. Drop a README that shouts DO NOT DELETE. Claim stolen confidential files. Claim encryption. Point the scared person at a Tor browser. Leave the website link blank in public copies. Leave the access key blank. Skip the price. Skip the countdown. Skip the test file. Then wait for someone else to sell the missing string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. The lock keeps the old name so you might miss it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aur0ra encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then does not rebrand them. That is why <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> is still readable as <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. The operators want you to inventory the damage late, not early. They want the first minutes to feel like a glitch. A coded filename can shock you into stopping. An ordinary filename lets you keep clicking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If only one folder looks wrong, do not assume the rest of the disk is safe. Ransomware walks trees. It hits Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, and any drive letter it can reach, including a USB stick you forgot was plugged in. Unplug extra disks. Do not plug in a copy just to check. Checking is how the extra copy gets the same silent lock, still wearing the same names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Double-clicking an unchanged file does not bring the photo back. The thumbnail may already look broken, or it may still show a cached picture that is no longer the real bytes. Excel may ask for a workbook that is still sitting in the same folder, only the bytes inside are no longer a workbook. That broken open is the first proof. The second proof is <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> in the same listing. Together they are enough. You do not need a Tor site to confirm what you are looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> named as it is. Leave <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> named as it is. Leave <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong> named as it is. Leave <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong> named as it is. Leave <strong>family.mp4<\/strong> named as it is. There is no extra ending to strip, and that is the point. People who are used to other lockers will hunt for a suffix and then decide this is not ransomware because they cannot find one. The missing suffix is the design. The note name is the suffix they chose instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt turns a break-in into a ticket<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the files are locked, the malware needs a voice. <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> 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 with leading punctuation sorts above <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. You open it because it looks like the only thing that still speaks English, and because the name told you not to delete it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The body is short enough to finish before a relative walks into the room. Stolen files. Encrypted files. Tor browser. Access key. Each beat is a closed door. 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 $ amount. 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 gives you a tone that says this is already decided. That tone is the product. Read the file as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep it on disk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not print the note and leave it on the kitchen table as if it were a bill. Do not photograph it and send it into a group chat with the files still attached. Do not rename it to Aur0ra-help.txt so it looks tidier in a report. The ugly name is the identifier. Keep the exclamation marks. Keep DO_NOT_DELETE. A responder who sees that exact string can match Filecoder.Aur0ra without guessing from the word Aurora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. We have downloaded confidential information files is the opening punch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first line of the sample is a theft headline, not a technician. We have downloaded confidential information files names a leak before it names a lock. You are supposed to feel exposed before you have even reached the encryption sentence. Capital attention does that work. The word confidential does that work. Together they make a Tor visit feel like the only adult move left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shout also travels. Search ads will recycle it. Commenters will paste it. A later Aur0ra helper will recite we have downloaded confidential information files 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 confirmed leak report you have to obey by paying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you later find copies of files on a cloud account, a mail draft, or a USB stick that was not mounted, those copies are not proof the criminals failed. They are copies you still control. Do not upload those copies to a stranger who offered to check whether they match the leak. Do not mail them to a Tor site as a test. The first sentence of the note already wants that conversation. Do not start it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Your files are encrypted is the second punch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the leak claim, the note rests on Your files are encrypted as if a short sentence were a receipt. That pair is meant to end the conversation you have not even started. Theft plus lock sounds like a problem you cannot beat at the kitchen table. It is still a sales paragraph. It is not a lab report. It is not a reason to skip copies that were never mounted. It is not a reason to skip a trusted decryptor project later if one appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need to argue cryptography with a text file. The sample does not even name a cipher. It does not print AES, RSA, or a key length. It just says encrypted. That is enough for the pitch. Leave <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> named as it is. Leave <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> where it is. The word encrypted in that note is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Windows may still offer to pick an app, because the type never changed. Decline the random app. There is no player that turns locked bytes into last summer. There is no spreadsheet tool that rebuilds <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong> from a locked copy because the name still says xlsx. An unchanged type is not a healthy file. It is a costume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Contact us via tor browser is the door they want you to walk through<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recovery step in the sample is Tor. Contact us via tor browser at a Tor website link. That is the whole door. It looks like support because support uses a website. Criminal shops use hidden sites too, because a page is where a blank access key becomes a login and a leak claim becomes a chat they control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not open that site. Do not create a throwaway Tor identity just to see. Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the note name. They already chose to leave <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> looking like <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. A photo of <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> sitting next to ordinary names does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If someone later says they will talk to Aur0ra for you through that same Tor page, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. The Tor website link is blank in public copies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note says contact us via tor browser at a Tor website link. Public copies leave that link blank. This page will not invent an onion URL to put in that blank. If your copy of <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> is redacted there, it is redacted. If your copy on disk still shows a string, keep the file. Do not tidy it. Do not fill a public screenshot so it looks more complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That gap is where copycats work. Someone will publish a long .onion string and call it the Aur0ra site. 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 the address. Do not invent one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Tor URL, when you actually have one on disk, is an identifier for a responder. It is not a help desk you should visit. It is not a password you redeem by installing a new browser. Copy it into the incident record. Then leave it alone. Do not click it from a phone. Do not click it from a work laptop. Do not ask a nephew to click it because he already uses Tor for other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Your access key: stays blank on the sample<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plenty of lockers print a long victim ID so you feel tagged. This sample prints Your access key: and then leaves it empty. That is not a kindness. A blank field is a hook. You are supposed to feel incomplete. You are supposed to visit the Tor page to collect the missing ticket. The missing ticket is the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not invent a key because other ransomware families use one. Do not type your name, your email, or a made-up code on that line and save the file. Do not let a later helper fill it for you. The published flyer left it blank. Leave the blank uninvented. If a later message says it can recover your access key for a small $ fee, that is a second shop standing in the same doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your disk copy actually shows a string after Your access key:, keep it as evidence and do not use it as a login. Do not paste it into a form. Do not read it out on a call with someone who found you through a search ad. A key that unlocks a criminal portal is still a criminal portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. No price, no deadline, and no test file keep you guessing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sample has no printed $ amount. It has no 0.5 BTC line. It 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 kindness. They are a shorter path to Tor. Other families use timers and proof so you feel managed. Aur0ra skips the theater and names the leak. You are supposed to feel that waiting is already a mistake, even though no fuse was printed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. Do not invent a $ figure in your head and decide it might be worth it. The published flyer did not print a price. Leave the price uninvented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Silence is not rude here. Silence is how you stay out of their queue. A relative, an insurer, or an incident lead can still talk on a phone. The people who locked the files do not get a seat in that call. The people who claim they already downloaded confidential information files do not get a second copy through a test file you attached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Third parties will sell an Aur0ra conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt Aur0ra or all files with no new extension. Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> so they sound close to the case. They will mention the leak line. They will mention the blank access key. They will mention Tor as if they already visited the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 Tor link that makes a shop window appear. A shop window is not Photos opening <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> again. If a later message skips the original note 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 set a wallet the public copy never printed. Do not help them fill the access key the sample left blank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 Tor visit. It does not need a $ send. It does not need you to complete Your access key. 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 Aur0ra key as a second sales pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watch the name mix in those pitches. Helpers who only say Aurora, with a letter o, are often recycling the old published guide. Helpers who cannot spell Aur0ra with a zero are not close to this folder. Helpers who talk about a new extension this strain never used are reading a different locker. Quote the note name back to them and stop. If they change the subject, they were never matching your disk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Payment and opening that Tor link close nothing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the money 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, still leaving the names looking normal. A Tor thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a hidden site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opening their Tor page is the free version of the same dead end. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Starting a chat does not rebuild a JPEG. It only keeps you in their story while the rest of the disk still needs a real plan. Paying a $ amount they never printed in the original note is still a payment to the people who locked <strong>family.mp4<\/strong>. It still funds the next copy of the same locker. It still does not produce a warranty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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, especially if the note claimed confidential files were already taken. Opening that Tor link again is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the website line in the public copy is blank and the access key line is empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad890077341\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309749-ad_309691-placement_400591\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5354318971\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What To Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not pay. Do not open the Tor link in <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>. Do not invent an onion address to finish that line. Do not invent an access key to finish Your access key:. Do not type a URL from the page into Tor, 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 opened the note before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to hold a key for anyone who quotes the note. Do not treat the older How to remove Aurora Ransomware guide as a fix for this folder.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"stepsbox\">\n<li><a href=\"#rkill\"><strong>STEP 1<\/strong>: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#malwarebytes\"><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Use Malwarebytes to remove for Ransomware and Unwanted Programs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>STEP 3<\/strong>: Use HitmanPro to remove Trojans and other Malware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#adwcleaner\"><strong>STEP 4<\/strong>: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#eset\"><strong>STEP 5<\/strong>: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#restore\"><strong>STEP 6<\/strong>: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"rkill\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.<\/h4>\n<p>In this first step, we will download and run Rkill to terminate suspicious programs that may be running on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download Rkill.<\/p>\n<p>You can download RKill to your computer from the below link. When at the download page, click on the <em>Download Now<\/em> button labeled <strong>iExplore.exe<\/strong>. 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. <\/p>\n  \n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/download\/rkill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-160643 mwt_product_icon_logo\" title=\"Malwarebytes Icon\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/RKill-Icon.png\" alt=\"RKILL Logo\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\"\/><\/figure>\n<strong>RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em>(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Rkill)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Run RKill.<\/p>\n<p>After downloading, double-click the <strong>iExplore.exe<\/strong> icon to kill malicious processes. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the&nbsp;<em>Downloads<\/em> folder.<br \/>The program may take some time to search for and end various malware programs.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-160644 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/RKILL-2.jpg\" alt=\"RKILL Window\" width=\"800\" height=\"438\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/RKILL-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/RKILL-2-300x164.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"malwarebytes\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove Ransomware and Unwanted Programs<\/h4>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Malwarebytes<\/strong> is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows \u2014 and it&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download Malwarebytes<\/p> <p>Click the button below to download the latest version of <strong>Malwarebytes for Windows<\/strong> from the official source. The free version is all you need \u2014 it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.<\/p> <div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Malwarebytes Icon\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-81150 mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Malwarebytes-LOGO.png\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Logo\"\/><\/figure> <strong><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/downloads\/MBSetup-076886.076886-consumer.exe\" onclick=\"window.open(&#039;https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/malwarebytes-free&#039;);\">DOWNLOAD MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS (FREE)<br \/>\n<\/a><\/strong><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The link opens in a new page where your download will start)<\/em><\/div><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> <p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install Malwarebytes<\/p>\n\n<p>When the download finishes, open your <strong>Downloads<\/strong> folder and <strong>double-click the MBSetup file<\/strong>. If Windows shows a <strong>User Account Control<\/strong> pop-up, click &#8220;<em>Yes<\/em>&#8221; to allow the installation.<\/p>\n\n \n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"975\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285934\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1.jpg 975w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM1-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px\" \/><\/figure>\n \n\n \n  \n\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes<\/p> \n\n<p>The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n \n  <li>\n    <p>Choose where you&#8217;re installing the program \u2014 &#8220;<strong>Personal Computer<\/strong>&#8221; or &#8220;<strong>Work Computer<\/strong>&#8221; \u2014 then click <strong>Next<\/strong>.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"737\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285953\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1.jpg 737w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM3-1-300x204.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285937\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4.jpg 759w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM4-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>When installation is complete, the &#8220;<strong>Welcome to Malwarebytes<\/strong>&#8221; screen will open automatically.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"705\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285951\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1.jpg 705w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM6-1-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <p>On the final screen, click <strong>Open Malwarebytes<\/strong> to launch the program.<\/p>\n    \n    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"749\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285952\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1.jpg 749w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM5-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px\" \/>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Enable &#8220;Scan for Rootkits&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Before scanning, turn on rootkit detection so Malwarebytes can find even the most hidden threats. Click the <strong>Settings<\/strong> gear icon on the left side of the screen.\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285942\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM8-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the settings menu, find &#8220;<strong>Scan for rootkits<\/strong>&#8221; and click the toggle so it turns blue.\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"841\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285943\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9.jpg 841w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM9-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Done? Click &#8220;<strong>Dashboard<\/strong>&#8221; in the left pane to return to the main screen.\n\n <\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Start the Scan<\/p> <p>Click the blue <strong>Scan<\/strong> button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285941\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10.jpg 849w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM10-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Scan to Finish<\/p>\n<p>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 \u2014 just check back occasionally to see the progress.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285944\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM11-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Quarantine the Detected Threats<\/p>\n<p>When the scan is done, you&#8217;ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found \u2014 malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the &#8220;<strong>Quarantine<\/strong>&#8221; button to remove all of them at once.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285945\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12.jpg 844w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM12-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285946\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13.jpg 842w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM13-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n <\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n  <p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Restart Your Computer<\/p>\n  <p>Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click <strong>Yes<\/strong>. Once you&#8217;re logged back in, your PC is clean and you can continue with the next steps in this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-285947\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14.jpg 844w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MBAM14-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"hitmanpro\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Rootkits and other Malware<\/h4>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>HitmanPro<\/strong> is a second-opinion scanner \u2014 it&#8217;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&#8217;s analyzed by two of the best antivirus engines available: <strong>Bitdefender<\/strong> and <strong>Kaspersky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good news: <strong>scanning is completely free, with no limits<\/strong>. You only need a license when it&#8217;s time to remove what was found \u2014 and even then, you can activate a <strong>free one-time 30-day trial<\/strong> to clean your PC at no cost. (A full license is $24.95 per year for 1 PC.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download HitmanPro<\/p>\n<p>Click the button below to download <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong>. Remember \u2014 the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-81147 alignleft mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/icon-hitmanpro.png\" alt=\"HitmanPro Logo\" width=\"38\" height=\"38\" title=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><strong>DOWNLOAD HITMANPRO (FREE SCAN)<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The link opens in a new page where your download will start)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install HitmanPro<\/p>\n<p>When the download finishes, open your <em>Downloads<\/em> folder and double-click the file: <strong>&#8220;hitmanpro.exe&#8221;<\/strong> on 32-bit Windows, or <strong>&#8220;hitmanpro_x64.exe&#8221;<\/strong> on 64-bit Windows.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136909 alignnone\" title=\"Double-click on the HitmanPro setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro.jpg\" alt=\"Double-click on the HitmanPro file\" width=\"800\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-HitmanPro-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>If a <em>User Account Control<\/em>&nbsp;pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click &#8220;<em>Yes<\/em>&#8221; to continue.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136916 alignnone\" title=\"Windows asking for permissions to run the HitmanPro setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC.jpg\" alt=\"Windows asking for permissions to run the HitmanPro setup \" width=\"676\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC.jpg 676w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-UAC-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the On-Screen Prompts<\/p>\n<p>On the HitmanPro start screen, click &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required \u2014 it goes straight to work.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136913 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to install HitmanPro on your computer\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install.jpg\" alt=\"Click Next to install HitmanPro on your PC\" width=\"800\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136912 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to finish the HitmanPro install\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro final installer screen\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Install-2-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Scan to Finish<\/p>\n<p>HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136915 alignnone\" title=\"HitmanPro while scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scans your computer for any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Scanning-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Review the Results and Click &#8220;Next&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click &#8220;<strong>Next<\/strong>&#8221; to remove the detected threats.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136914 alignnone\" title=\"Click Next to remove the malware that HitmanPro has detected\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg\" alt=\"HitmanPro scan summary. Click Next to remove malware\" width=\"800\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Quarantine-Malicious-Files-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Activate Free License&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>To remove the malicious files, click the &#8220;<strong>Activate free license<\/strong>&#8221; button. This starts your <em>free 30-day trial<\/em> \u2014 no payment details needed \u2014 and unlocks the full cleanup.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136911 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Activate free license button to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Activate free license button\" width=\"800\" height=\"635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/HitmanPro-Activate-License-300x238.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click <strong>Next<\/strong>, then click <strong>Reboot<\/strong> if prompted. If there&#8217;s no reboot prompt, just click <strong>Close<\/strong> \u2014 your PC is clean.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"adwcleaner\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware<\/h4>\n<p>In this next step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove malicious browser policies and unwanted browser extensions from your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>AdwCleaner<\/strong> is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars \u2014 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&#8217;s a quick scan that&#8217;s well worth running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download AdwCleaner<\/p>\n<p>Click the button below to download <strong>AdwCleaner<\/strong> \u2014 it&#8217;s free, portable, and requires no installation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><figure><\/figure> <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/adwcleaner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84923 alignleft mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/AdwCleaner-Icon.png\" alt=\"AdwCleaner Icon\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" title=\"\"><\/figure> <strong>DOWNLOAD ADWCLEANER (FREE)<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The link opens in a new page where your download will start)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Run AdwCleaner<\/p>\n<p>Open your <em>Downloads<\/em> folder and double-click the file named &#8220;<strong>adwcleaner_x.x.x.exe<\/strong>&#8220;. There&#8217;s no installation \u2014 the program starts right away.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136932 alignnone\" title=\"Double-click on the AdwCleaner setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-AdwCleaner.jpg\" alt=\"Download AdwCleaner on your computer\" width=\"800\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-AdwCleaner.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Download-AdwCleaner-300x159.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click &#8220;<strong>Yes<\/strong>&#8220;. When the license agreement appears, click <strong>I agree<\/strong> to continue.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136935 alignnone\" title=\"Click Yes to allow AdwCleaner to run\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Windows-asks-to-run-AdwCleaner.jpg\" alt=\"Windows ask if you want to run AdwCleaner\" width=\"585\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Windows-asks-to-run-AdwCleaner.jpg 585w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Windows-asks-to-run-AdwCleaner-300x217.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Enable &#8220;Reset Chrome policies&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This setting removes malicious browser policies \u2014 a trick malware uses to lock your browser settings so you can&#8217;t change them back. Click &#8220;<strong>Settings<\/strong>&#8221; on the left side of the window, then turn on &#8220;<strong>Reset Chrome policies<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136933 alignnone\" title=\"Enable Reset Chrome policies to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Reset-Chrome-Policies-AdwCleaner.jpg\" alt=\"Enable Reset Chrome policies to remove malicious browser policies\" width=\"800\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Reset-Chrome-Policies-AdwCleaner.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Reset-Chrome-Policies-AdwCleaner-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Start the Scan<\/p>\n<p>Click &#8220;<strong>Dashboard<\/strong>&#8221; on the left side of the window, then click the &#8220;<strong>Scan<\/strong>&#8221; button.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136934 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Scan to start a AdwCleaner scan\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Start-a-AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Scan to start a AdwCleaner scan\" width=\"800\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Start-a-AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Start-a-AdwCleaner-Scan-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Scan to Finish<\/p>\n<p>AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes \u2014 it&#8217;s one of the fastest scanners around.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136931 alignnone\" title=\"AdwCleaner scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg\" alt=\"AdwCleaner scanning for adware and other malware\" width=\"800\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Scan.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Scan-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Quarantine the Detected Threats<\/p>\n<p>When the scan finishes, AdwCleaner will list everything it found. Click the &#8220;<strong>Quarantine<\/strong>&#8221; button to remove all the malicious items at once.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136930 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Quarantine to remove malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Quarantine to remove malware\" width=\"800\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Quarantine-Malicious-Files.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Quarantine-Malicious-Files-300x177.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> <p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Continue&#8221; to Finish the Cleanup<\/p> <p><strong>Save any open work first<\/strong> \u2014 AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you&#8217;re ready, click the &#8220;<strong>Continue<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Save your work and then click on the Continue button\" width=\"800\" height=\"477\" class=\"size-full wp-image-136929 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Confirm-Removal-Of-Malicious-Files.jpg\" alt=\"Click Continue to remove malicious files\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Confirm-Removal-Of-Malicious-Files.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AdwCleaner-Confirm-Removal-Of-Malicious-Files-300x179.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p> <p>AdwCleaner will now delete all detected malware from your computer. If it asks you to restart your PC, allow it \u2014 your computer will be clean when you log back in.<\/p> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"eset\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner <\/h4>\n<p>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..<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ESET Online Scanner<\/strong> 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&#8217;s thorough \u2014 if anything slipped past the previous scans, ESET will find it. A clean result here means your computer is malware-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download ESET Online Scanner<\/p>\n<p>Click the button below to download <strong>ESET Online Scanner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/get\/esetonlinescanner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft mwt_product_icon_logo size-full wp-image-148927\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Eset-Logo.png\" alt=\"ESET logo\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" title=\"\"><\/figure><strong>DOWNLOAD ESET ONLINE SCANNER (FREE)<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em>(The link opens in a new page where your download will start)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Run the Installer<\/p>\n<p>When the download finishes, open your <em>Downloads<\/em> folder and double-click &#8220;<strong>esetonlinescanner.exe<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148926\" title=\"Double-click on the ESET Online Scanner setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Installer.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Double-click on the ESET Online Scanner setup file\" width=\"800\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Installer.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Installer-300x155.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install ESET Online Scanner<\/p>\n<p>On the start screen, select your language from the drop-down menu and click <strong>Get started<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148858\" title=\"Click Get Started to install ESET Online Scanner\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Click Get Started to install ESET Online Scanner\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>On the <em>Terms of use<\/em> screen, click <strong>Accept<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148863\" title=\"Accept Terms to Install ESET Online Scanner\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Accept Terms to Install ESET Online Scanner\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-2-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-2-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Choose your preferences for the <em>Customer Experience Improvement Program<\/em> and the <em>Detection feedback system<\/em> (either choice is fine), then click <strong>Continue<\/strong>.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148859\" title=\"Follow the on-screen prompts to install ESET Online Scanner\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-3.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Follow the on-screen prompts\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-3-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Start a Full Scan<\/p>\n<p>Click <strong>Full Scan<\/strong> \u2014 this checks your entire computer, not just the common hiding spots.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148860\" title=\"Start a Full Scan with ESET Online Scanner\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-4.jpg\" alt=\"Start a Full Scan with ESET Online Scanner\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-4.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-4-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>Select <strong>Enable<\/strong> for <em>Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications<\/em> \u2014 this lets ESET catch adware and bundled junk programs, not just viruses. Then click <strong>Start scan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148929\" title=\"Enable PUA Detection and Start Scan\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-Step-5.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Enable PUA Detection and Start Scan\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-Step-5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-Step-5-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Scan to Finish<\/p>\n<p>ESET will now check every file on your computer. Because it&#8217;s a full scan, this can take a while \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148930\" title=\"Wait for the ESET Online Scanner scan to finish\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-6-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image- Wait for the ESET Online Scanner scan to finish\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-6-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Scan-6-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Review the Results<\/p>\n<p>When the scan completes, the <em>Found and resolved detections<\/em> screen appears. Any threats found were <strong>automatically cleaned and quarantined<\/strong> \u2014 there&#8217;s nothing extra you need to do. Click <strong>View detailed results<\/strong> if you want to see exactly what was removed.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-148933\" title=\"ESET Online Scanner malware removal\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Step-7.jpg\" alt=\"Image - ESET Online Scanner malware removal\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Step-7.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ESET-Step-7-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If ESET found nothing \u2014 congratulations, your computer has passed the final check and is malware-free.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"restore\" class=\"mt_blue toch4\">STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware<\/h4>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, in most cases, it\u2019s 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&#8217;ve listed three options you can use to try and recover your files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mt_noter\">Make sure you remove the malware from your computer first, otherwise, it will repeatedly lock your system or encrypt files. If you suspect that your computer is still infected with malware, you can run a free scan with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/downloads-emsisoft-emergency-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emsisoft Emergency Kit<\/a><\/strong>.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 1: Search a decryption tool for this ransomware<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cybersecurity community is constantly working to create ransomware decryption tools, so you can try to search these sites for updates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/decrypter.emsisoft.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/decrypter.emsisoft.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/noransom.kaspersky.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/noransom.kaspersky.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.avast.com\/ransomware-decryption-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.avast.com\/ransomware-decryption-tools<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 2: Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free to recover the encrypted files<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<br \/>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.<\/p>\n<p>You can download <strong>EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free<\/strong>&nbsp;by clicking the link below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/get-easeus-data-recovery-wizard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-150416 mwt_product_icon_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-Logo.png\" alt=\"EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Logo\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" title=\"\"><\/figure> EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD FREE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong><br \/><em class=\"small-text-disclaimer\">(The above link will open a new page from where you can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Double-click on the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free setup file.<\/p>\n<p>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 <em>Downloads<\/em> folder.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150415\" title=\"EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Installer\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-0.jpg\" alt=\"Image: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Installer\" width=\"800\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-0.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-0-300x155.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<p>You may be presented with a <em>User Account Control<\/em>&nbsp;pop-up asking if you want to allow EaseUS to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click \u201c<em>Yes<\/em>\u201d to continue with the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free installation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the on-screen prompts to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.<\/p>\n<p>When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation begins, click on the &#8220;Install Now&#8221; as seen in the image below.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150403\" title=\"EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Install Now\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-1.jpg\" alt=\"EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Install Now\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-1-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When your EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation completes, click the &#8220;<strong>Start Now<\/strong>&#8221; button to start the program.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150404\" title=\"Click Start Now\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-2.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Click Start Now\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-2-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files.<\/p>\n<p>Choose the drive or folder where you are the encrypted files that you want to recover and click &#8220;<strong>Scan<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150405\" title=\"Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-3.jpg\" alt=\"Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-3-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.<\/p>\n<p>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.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150414\" title=\"Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-4A.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-4A.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-4A-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find the files you want to recover.<\/p>\n<p>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 &#8220;<strong>Filter<\/strong>&#8221; button to quickly filter specific file types and find the files that you want to recover.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150421\" title=\"Filter the Files by Type\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-8.jpg\" alt=\"Filter the Files by Type\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-8-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Click the &#8220;<strong>Preview<\/strong>&#8221; button or double-click on a file for a full preview.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150423\" title=\"Click Preview to view the file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-9.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Click Preview to view the file\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-9.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-9-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Select your files and click &#8220;Recover&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, select the the files you want to recover and click &#8220;<strong>Recover<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150407\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-5.jpg\" alt=\"Select your files and click Recover\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-5-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>Choose a safe location to save all the files.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150408\" title=\"Select a safe location\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-6.jpg\" alt=\"Select a safe location\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-6-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>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.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150409\" title=\"View Recovered Files\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-7.jpg\" alt=\"Image: View Recovered Files\" width=\"800\" height=\"542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-7.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/EaseUS-Data-Recovery-Wizard-Free-7-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 3: Try to restore your files with ShadowExplorer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download ShadowExplorer.<\/p>\n<p>You can download <strong>ShadowExplorer<\/strong> from the below link.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shadowexplorer.com\/downloads.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><br \/><em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download &#8220;ShadowExplorer&#8221;)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Install ShadowExplorer.<\/p>\n<p>Double-click on the <strong>ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup<\/strong> file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-115405\" title=\"Install Shadow Defender\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Install-Shadow-Defender.jpg\" alt=\"Install Shadow Defender\" width=\"590\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Install-Shadow-Defender.jpg 590w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Install-Shadow-Defender-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Select snapshot date.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-115411\" title=\"Select drive and snapshot date\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Select-date.jpg\" alt=\"Select drive and date to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware \" width=\"1180\" height=\"895\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Select-date.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Select-date-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Select-date-1024x777.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Export the files that you want to recover.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have found a copy of the original file or folder, right-click on it and the select &#8220;Export&#8221;. A window will prompt you where you want to save the file or folder.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-115403\" title=\"Find copy then click on Export\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Export-files-ransomware.jpg\" alt=\"Find copy then click on Expor to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware \" width=\"590\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Export-files-ransomware.jpg 590w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Export-files-ransomware-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep every locked file named exactly as it is. <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> should stay <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong> should stay <strong>vacation.jpg<\/strong>. <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong> should stay <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong>. <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong> should stay <strong>taxes.xlsx<\/strong>. <strong>family.mp4<\/strong> should stay <strong>family.mp4<\/strong>. There is no extra ending to strip. The original names are already what you see. That is why this strain is easy to miss. Look for <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>, not for a new extension. If the names look unchanged and that note is in the folder, you are still in this incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> with the locked files. Do not clean up every copy of the note. Do not fill in a Tor link so the flyer looks complete. Do not fill in an access key so the flyer looks complete. The redaction, or the string 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: the leak sentence, the encryption sentence, the Tor browser line, and the blank access key. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not open the Tor link in the note. Do not install a browser for this. Do not ask a friend to visit the site just to see. A blank website line is still a ransom door. A calm README is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> and offers the real onion, that is still the same shop. If a later message skips the original note and asks for a $ amount over ordinary mail, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The access key line is blank on the sample. Do not complete it. Do not pay anyone who says they already recovered your key. Do not paste a string from a later email into a form labeled access key. If your disk copy is blank, leave it blank. If your disk copy has a value, copy it for the incident record and do not use it as a login.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not the old Aurora post. How to remove Aurora Ransomware is a different family and a different spelling. Filecoder.Aur0ra, zero in the name, is this locker. If a helper only knows the older title, they are not matching your folder. Do not follow the older page as if it already solved <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not pay. Do not invent a price. Do not invent a wallet. Do not invent a Session ID. If someone claims they can already decrypt Aur0ra files for a fee because they can recite the leak line and the blank access key, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention the Tor website link 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Windows still offers to pick an app for <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> or <strong>invoice-2026.pdf<\/strong>, decline it when the file will not open. An unchanged type is not a healthy file. There is no player for locked bytes that still wear yesterday&#8217;s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"mwtad1932038285\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309750-ad_309691-placement_400592\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4041237300\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aur0ra ransomware is a locker with no new extension, a README that shouts DO NOT DELETE, and a checkout that leaves the access key blank. It keeps the old name. <strong>1.jpg<\/strong> stays <strong>1.jpg<\/strong>. The note is <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong>. It claims stolen confidential files, says your files are encrypted, points you at a Tor browser, and prints Your access key: with nothing after it. Public copies leave the Tor website link blank, and this page will not invent one. There is no printed ransom amount. There is no printed deadline. There is no test decrypt. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. This is Filecoder.Aur0ra from the 2020s, not the older Aurora ransomware in How to remove Aurora Ransomware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not pay. Do not open that Tor link. Do not invent an onion URL. Do not invent an access key. Do not hunt for a new extension that this strain never added. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names that look unchanged, plus <strong>!!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt<\/strong> with a leak claim, an encryption claim, a Tor door, and a blank access key, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the redacted line, and before anyone hands you the old Aurora guide as if the zero in the name did not matter.<\/p>\n\n<div id=\"mwtad2317148889\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_176819-ad_309691-placement_400595\" style=\"margin-top: 50px;margin-bottom: 50px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8386082122\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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. &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Aur0ra EXPOSED: No New Extension, !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt, and a Blank Access Key\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/aur0ra-ransomware\/#more-403908\" aria-label=\"Read more about Aur0ra EXPOSED: No New Extension, !!!README!!!DO_NOT_DELETE.txt, and a Blank Access Key\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":403901,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2836,2727],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-403908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-malware-removal-and-popup-scam-alerts","category-ransomware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403908"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403909,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403908\/revisions\/403909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}