.Wcry Ransomware File Removal (+File Recovery)

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Welcome to our .Wcry Ransomware File removal guide. The following instructions will aid you in removing the unwanted software from your PC for free.

.Wcry is a typical Ransomware virus that is able to lock any personal user files stored on the infected computer through the method of encryption. A lot of users have already reported having their data rendered inaccessible by the malicious new piece of malware that .Wcry is. After encrypting the files, the virus tells the user that a ransom payment needs to be made in return for the key that can unlock the files and make them accessible again. Today, in our article, we will try to give our readers some valuable data on how a Ransomware virus such as this one operates, what its symptoms might be and also how it is most commonly distributed. Keep in mind that the best way to fend off Ransomware threats is to have a good understanding of what they actually are, what they do and how they do it.

If your data has been encrypted by .Wcry

If your files have already been overtaken by .Wcry, we might be able to help you with restoring your access to them as well as removing the harmful malware from your PC. There is an instructional guide on the different steps that you’d need to take in order to do so. However, we ought to tell you that we cannot give you any guarantee as to how effective our guide will be in your specific situation – Ransomware viruses are very difficult to handle and sometimes even the best methods might not yield satisfactory results. Still, we believe that using our guide is a lot better than paying money to criminals and hackers.

Antivirus detection

What makes Ransomware viruses such a huge issue is the fact that oftentimes, antivirus programs turn out to be completely ineffective against this particular type of malware. This has a lot to do with the fact that, in the majority of instances, malicious software like .Wcry does not actually cause any real damage to anything on your machine. File encryption is not actually regarded as a malicious process by most security programs, since encryption is in fact a common data protection method. Obviously, when it is used against you by a Ransomware virus, it sure is a huge problem, but most antivirus tools are not able to make the distinction between a Ransomware encryption and a non-virus one. Therefore, when it comes to malware the likes of .Wcry, software protection for your PC is probably not going to be enough to protect your files from this type of malicious viruses.

Possible symptoms?

Another huge problem with Ransomware is the fact that the potential signs of infection that they might have are quite difficult to notice. Here, we will give you a general idea about what you should be on the lookout for, but keep in mind that though it is technically possible to spot the infection, it is usually very difficult and one needs to be extremely vigilant and observant.

• The most common infection symptom is an increase in the levels of CPU and RAM consumption on your PC throughout the encryption period. The best way to determine whether there is an increased use of CPU time and virtual memory is to check the Task Manager’s performance tab.
• Another very typical Ransomware symptom is increased usage of physical memory on your hard drive. This too happens during the encryption, because in order for your files to get encrypted, they need to be copied. Those copies are encrypted and are actually what you are left with at the end of the process after the originals are deleted.
• General system instability and PC slowdown can also be an indication of an attack from .Wcry or any other similar virus. Therefore, if you notice anything odd about your machine’s behavior, be sure to have it taken to a professional IT specialist, because there might indeed be a Ransomware virus that is trying to encrypt your data.

How .Wcry infects users’ computers

There are a lot of different ways, via which malicious software of the Ransomware type gets distributed. The most common and dangerous of those methods will be mentioned in the following list that we have created in order to help you keep your system safe and protected against Ransomware:

• Illegal sites that have downloadable content are a common way of spreading all types of malware and other shady programs. Oftentimes, it is not only the downloads from the site but also the obnoxious banners and ads that are all over its pages.
• Various forms of online spam are commonly employed for distributing .Wcry and other similar viruses. Users should be extremely careful when checking their inbox for new letters and if any new message appears to be spam, it should be immediately deleted.
• Another very common method for infecting computers with Ransomware is with the use of Trojan horses. Once the Trojan has gotten onto the targeted computer, there’s little to nothing that can stop the Ransomware from getting there as well. This is why it is still important to have a reliable antivirus tool that can help you fend off such Trojans.

.Wcry Ransomware File Removal

 Here is what you need to do in order to remove a Ransomware virus from you computer.

I – Reveal Hidden files and folders and utilize the task manager

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1. Use the Folder Options in order to reveal the hidden files and folders on your PC. If you do not know how to do that, follow this link.
2. Open the Start Menu and in the search field type Task Manager.
   
3. Open the first result and in the Processes tab, carefully look through the list of Processes.
4. If you notice with the virus name or any other suspicious-looking or that seems to consume large amounts of memory, right-click on it and open its file location. Delete everything in there.
   

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• Make sure that the hidden files and folders on your PC are visible, else you might not be able to see everything.

5. Go back to the Task Manager and end the shady process.

II – Boot to Safe Mode

• Boot your PC into Safe Mode. If you do not know how to do it, use this guide/linked/.

III – Identify the threat

1. Go to the ID Ransomware website. Here is a direct link.
2. Follow there in order to identify the specific virus you are dealing with.

IV – Decrypt your files

1. Once you have identified the virus that has encrypted your files, you must acquire the respective tool to unlock your data.
2. Open your browser and search for how to decrypt ransomware, look for the name of the one that has infected your system.
3. With any luck, you’d be able to find a decryptor tool for your ransomware. If that doesn’t happen try Step V as a last ditch effort to save your files.

V – Use Recuva to restore files deleted by the virus

1. Download the Recuva tool. This will help you restore your original files so that you won’t need to actually decrypt the locked ones.
2. Once you’ve downloaded the program, open it and select Next.
   
3. Now choose the type of files you are seeking to restore and continue to the next page.
4. When asked where your files were, before they got deleted, either use the option In a specific location and provide that location or choose the opt for the I am not sure alternative – this will make the program look everywhere on your PC.
   
5. Click on Next and for best results, enable the Deep Scan option (note that this might take some time).
   
6. Wait for the search to finish and then select which of the listed files you want to restore.

• Keep in mind it is possible that not all files might be fully recovered. You can check in what condition the files are from the State column in the list of deleted files.