How to remove LockFile Ransomware: Restore locked files

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

LockFile Ransomware is very dangerous file virus belongs to Ransomware family. This dubious ransomware-type malware is designed to encrypt all formats of files including images, audios, videos, games, pdf, ppt, xlx, css, html, text, documents, databases, and other formats of files stored in your computer hard drive. You can’t access or open your personal files anymore due to its malicious behaviors. It modifies each file by adding .lockfile File Extension to the original filename. For example, it renames ‘1.png’ filename to ‘1.png.lockfile’.

After encryption process is finished, the ransom note in HTML or .hta format file is dropped into your computer’s location. The filename of ransom note depends on your computer username. For example, the ransom note can be LOCKFILE-README-TOMASMESKAUFFFE-1629716662.hta which contains ransomware name, computer name, and string of random characters. The text presented in ransom note states all types of files stored in your computer hard drive have been encrypted and you need to establish the contact with cybercriminals via provided email addresses for the decryption keys/software.

According to cybercriminals behind this ransomware, the only way to recover your locked files is to pay certain amount of extortion money for the decryption. As proof that they have right decryption keys/software, they can provide some free decryption service for 2-3 locked files and can ask you to send these files within 1MB of size to provided email address. After free decryption test successful, they force you to pay certain amount of ransom money to decrypt all locked files. Keep in mind that they are not going to recover your locked files even when ransom money is paid.

So, we recommended you not to pay any amount of ransom money to cybercriminals behind this ransomware. Paying ransom money may lead to severe privacy issues, financial losses or even identity theft. One possible way to recover your locked files is to restore them from backup. You should make sure you have strong backup of your personal files on some safe storage or on cloud storage. You can restore your data from backup. But before data recovery, you should at first try to find and remove LockFile Ransomware related files in computer as soon as possible.

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

Cybercriminals distribute this nasty ransomware-type malware by exploiting the bugs known as ProxyShell and NTLM Relay. These bugs are used by attackers to gain access to Microsoft Exchange Server. Once the server is compromised, attackers can take control over your network Windows domain controller and start locking files with this ransomware. This ransomware mostly targets Asia and USA based organizations and exploit ProxyShell bugs to spread ransomware. However, updating Microsoft Exchange server cumulative updates to latest update version can resolve the issue.

Ransomware-type malware can also be distributed through spam email campaign or malspam campaign. Scammers or malware programmers send spam emails in your mailbox which contain some messages along with suspicious hyperlinks or attachments. Once opened, it executes certain codes/scripts to install malware in your computer. Ransomware-type malware can also be distributed through unofficial sources, fake software downloaders, installers or updaters, or other third-party sources.

How to protect your system against Ransomware-type malware?

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

Let’s take a look at ransom note:

LOCK FILE

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

Restore you data posible only buying private key from us.

There is only one way to get your files back:

contact us

Email

qTox ID:  – hxxps://tox.chat/download.html

Email:     [email protected]

Through a  Tor Browser – recommended

Download Tor Browser – hxxps://www.torproject.org/ and install it.

Open link in Tor Browser – hxxp://zqaflhty5hyziovsxgqvj2mrz5e5rs6oqxzb54zolccfnvtn5w2johad.onion This link only works in Tor Browser!

Follow the instructions on this page

Do not try to recover files yourself. this process can damage your data and recovery will become impossible

Do not rename encrypted files.

Do not waste time trying to find the solution on the Internet. The longer you wait, the higher will become the decryption key price

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

Tor Browser may be blocked in your country or corporate network. Use https://bridges.torproject.org or use Tor Browser over VPN.

Thanks to the warning wallpaper provided by lockbit, it’s easy to use

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

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

Step 2: Delete LockFile Ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove LockFile 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 LockFile Ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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 LockFile 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.