How to remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware: Restore locked files

Easy methods to delete Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware in Windows 10/8/7 computer

Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware is very dangerous file virus considered as Ransomware. This ransomware-type malware encrypts all non-system files stored in your computer hard drive and demand ransom payment in Bitcoins for the decryption. In sort, the purpose of developer of this ransomware is to encrypt all types of files except system files stored in your computer, and ask you to pay certain amount of extortion money to decrypt your files. According to them, the only way to decrypt or recover your locked files is to pay demanded ransom money for the decryption keys/software.

Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware is made using powerful encryption algorithm techniques designed to lock all types of files including images, audios, videos, games, pdf, ppt, xlx, css, html, text, documents, database and other formats of files stored in your computer hard drives, but it doesn’t infect/encrypt your system files. You can’t access or open your personal files anymore due to its dubious behaviors. It drops ‘RESTORE_MY_FILES.txt’ text files as ransom notes into each location of your computer that contains encrypted files.

The new version of Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware encrypts Windows domains by using Active Directory Group Polices. In sort, it is the first ransomware virus that automates this process. According to cyber security researchers, this virus features to use group policy update to encrypt a Windows domain. When cybercriminals enter your network and compromise the domain controller, then ransomware can spread on the domain. This infection creates new group polices on domain controller that migrates to all devices on Windows domain and attempts disable all security tools/features including Windows Defender and alerts, and prevent all systems within the network from detecting these malicious activities.

However, it works similar to other ransomware virus that locks all personal files on computer but this virus can encrypt all files stored in each computer connected to infected network and Windows domain. They ask you to pay certain amount of ransom money to decrypt your files. The text presented in ransom note states that in order to rename locked files manually or use third-party decryption, they will erase your all locked files permanently. But it is bogus at all. Paying ransom may lead to severe privacy issues, financial losses, or even identity theft. So, it is important to find and remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware related files in computer as soon as possible, and after malware or ransomware removal, you can go for data recovery solution.

How did you get Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware in Windows 10/8/7 computer?

In most cases, ransomware-type malware is distributed through Malspam campaign or email spam campaign. Cybercriminals send spam emails in your mailbox which contains some messages along with malicious attachments or hyperlinks. The attachments can be Microsoft Office Documents, PDF, RAR, ZIP, JavaScript or other formats of files. Once opened, it executes certain codes/scripts to download/install malware or viruses in your computer. For example, Microsoft Office Documents as malicious attachments infect computer by enabling malicious macro commands.

How to protect your system against Ransomware?

It is strongly recommended not to download, install or purchase any applications from unsafe/untrustworthy websites, fake software downloaders, installers or updaters, and other third-party sources. Any attachments or hyperlinks presented in spam or irrelevant emails must not be opened. Also, you should keep up-to-date your all software including operating system, antivirus software, and other software installed in your computer, and run regular system scan for malware or viruses in computer with some powerful antivirus software that could help you to find and remove all threats including ransomware-type malware in computer.

Let’s take a look at ransom note:

LockBit 2.0

All your important files are stolen and encrypted!

Any attempts to restore your files with the third-party software will be fatal to your files!

To recover your data and not to allow data leakage, it is possible only through purchase of a private key from us.

Attention!

Decoding.at may be blocked. We recommend using a Tor browser (or Brave) to access the TOR site.

Do not rename encrypted files. Do not try to decrypt using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.

Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to ours).

All you stolen important data will be loaded into our blog if you do not pay ransom…

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

For Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Boot the PC in “Safe Mode”. Click on “Start” option and continuously press on F8 during the start process until the “Windows Advanced Option” menu appears on the screen. Choose “Safe Mode with Networking” from the list.

Now, a windows homescreen appears on the desktop and work-station is now working on “Safe mode with networking”.

For Windows 8 Users: Go to the “Start Screen”. In the search results select settings, type “Advanced”. In the “General PC Settings” option, choose “Advanced startup” option. Again, click on the “Restart Now” option. The work-station boots to “Advanced Startup Option Menu”. Press on “Troubleshoot” and then “Advanced options” button.  In the “Advanced Option Screen”, press on “Startup Settings”. Again, click on “Restart” button. The work-station will now restart in to the “Startup Setting” screen. Next is to press F5 to boot in Safe Mode in Networking.

For Windows 10 Users: Press on Windows logo and on the “Power” icon. In the newly opened menu, choose “Restart” while continuously holding “Shift” button on the keyboard. In the new open “Choose an option” window, click on “Troubleshoot” and then on the “Advanced Options”. Select “Startup Settings” and press on “Restart”. In the next window, click on “F5” button on the key-board.

Step 2: Delete Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware. Open the browser and download a legitimate anti-malware tool. Do a full System scanning. Remove all the malicious detected entries.

In case if you cannot start the PC in “Safe Mode with Networking”, Try using “System Restore”

• During the “Startup”, continuously press on F8 key until the “Advanced Option” menu appears. From the list, choose “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” and then press “Enter”

• In the new opened command prompt, enter “cd restore” and then press “Enter”.

• Type: rstrui.exe and Press “ENTER”

• Click “Next” on the new windows

• Choose any of the “Restore Points” and click on “Next”. (This step will restore the work-station to its earlier time and date prior to Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware infiltration in the PC.

• In the newly opened windows, press on “Yes”.

Once your PC gets restored to its previous date and time, download the recommended anti-malware tool and perform a deep scanning in order to remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware files if they left in the work-station.

In order to restore the each (separate) file by this ransomware, use “Windows Previous Version” feature. This method is effective when “System Restore Function” is enabled in the work-station.

Important Note: Some variants of Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware delete the “Shadow Volume Copies” as well hence this feature may not work all the time and is applicable for selective computers only.

How to Restore Individual Encrypted File:

In order to restore a single file, right click on it and go to “Properties”. Select “Previous Version” tab. Select a “Restore Point” and click on “Restore” option.

In order to access the files encrypted by Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware, you can also try using “Shadow Explorer”. In order to get more information on this application, press here.

Important: Data Encryption Ransomware are highly dangerous and it is always better that you take precautions to avoid its attack on your work-station. It is advised to use a powerful anti-malware tool in order to get protection in real-time. With this help of “SpyHunter”, “group policy objects” are implanted in the registries in order to block harmful infections like Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware.

Also, In Windows 10, you get a very unique feature called “Fall Creators Update” that offer “Controlled Folder Access” feature in order to block any kind of encryption to the files. With the help of this feature, any files stored in the locations such as “Documents”, “Pictures”, “Music”, “Videos”, “Favorites” and “Desktop” folders are safe by default.

It is very important that you install this “Windows 10 Fall Creators Update” in your PC to protect your important files and data from ransomware encryption. The more information on how to get this update and add an additional protection form rnasomware attack has been discussed here.

How to Recover the Files Encrypted by Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware?

Till now, you would have understood that what had happed to your personal files that got encrypted and how you can remove the scripts and payloads associated with Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware in order to protect your personal files that has not been damaged or encrypted until now. In order to retrieve the locked files, the depth information related to “System Restore” and “Shadow Volume Copies” has already been discussed earlier. However, in case if you are still unable to access the encrypted files then you can try using a data recovery tool.

Use of Data Recovery Tool

This step is for all those victims who have already tries all the above mentioned process but didn’t find any solution. Also it is important that you are able to access the PC and can install any software. The data recovery tool works on the basis of System scanning and recovery algorithm. It searches the System partitions in order to locate the original files which were deleted, corrupted or damaged by the malware. Remember that you must not re-install the Windows OS otherwise the “previous” copies will get deleted permanently. You have to clean the work-station at first and remove Lockbit 2.0 Ransomware infection. Leave the locked files as it is and follow the steps mentioned below.

Step1: Download the software in the work-station by clicking on the “Download” button below.

Step2: Execute the installer by clicking on downloaded files.

Step3: A license agreement page appears on the screen. Click on “Accept” to agree with its terms and use. Follow the on-screen instruction as mentioned and click on “Finish” button.

Step4: Once the installation gets completed, the program gets executed automatically. In the newly opened interface, select the file types that you want to recover and click on “Next”.

Step5: You can select the “Drives” on which you want the software to run and execute the recovery process. Next is to click on the “Scan” button.

Step6: Based on drive you select for scanning, the restore process begins. The whole process may take time depending on the volume of the selected drive and number of files. Once the process gets completed, a data explorer appears on the screen with preview of that data that is to be recovered. Select the files that you want to restore.

Step7. Next is to locate the location where you want to saver the recovered files.