How To Remove PicoVirus Ransomware And Recover Infected Data

Simple Steps To Delete PicoVirus Ransomware From Computer

PicoVirus Ransomware is a highly dangerous file-encoding malware which silently infiltrates your computer without your permission and encrypts your crucial files and data stored inside the machine. This notorious crypto-threat uses a powerful encryption algorithm to lock your essential data such as images, videos, audios, documents, presentations etc. and makes you unable to open them again. It also appends “.pico” extension with the name of each compromised data and hence, they can be easily identified. Initially upon getting installed, this hazardous malware alters the default registry settings by making spiteful entries in it which allows the threat to get automatically activated with each Window reboot. After that, PicoVirus Ransomware performs a deep scanning of all the folders to find the data that are in its target list and after detecting such files, locks them at the end.

Following successful encryption, this perilous crypto-malware leaves a ransom note “README.txt” on the desktop and that informs you about the unkind situation and also provides the data-recovery instruction. The text file states that in order to get back access to locked data again, you must pay the attackers a ransom amount of $100 in either BitCoin or Ethereum cryptocyrrencies. The note also includes an email address “[email protected]” in order to contact the attackers and get further details.

Text presented in The Ransom Note:

[———————————————————————————]

Pico Ransomware v1.0

Your files was encrypted. To decrypt your files,
follow next steps:

1. Send $100 to one of these wallets:
BTC: 3QK9umWMV1nrn8nadZ9eGnJ76Bg4jiJLem
ETH: 0xBb171CC7113dbdc532C42D22928f6b6c56fBE242

2. Send your TXID and your MachineID to mail
E-Mail: [email protected]
MactineID:

[———————————————————————————]

Do not waste your time, files can only be
decrypted by our decode tool.

Should You pay The Ransom?

Although, it is true that files locked by PicoVirus Ransomware can not be accessed without using the decryption tool but still, we highly advise to not make any sort of payment to the hackers. According to the reports, such types of cyber actors often disappear after taking the ransom and cause victims to lose both files as well as money. At many cases, they provide rogue software to the victimized users in the name of decryption tool which only harms the device badly upon getting installed. And therefore, never consider dealing with the criminals under any circumstance as it will only motivate them to drop more viruses inside the PC for further revenues.

What Should The Victims Do:

The first thing you need to do here in such perilous situation is to remove PicoVirus Ransomware from the machine as early as possible because the longer it remains inside, it keeps infecting your other essential data. As far as restoring the infected files is concerned, use a reliable third-party program. There are various file-recovery applications that are very useful in restoring the infected or lost data, you should also use any of such tools to get your data back. Moreover, you need to keep making regular backups that are very helpful in retrieving the compromised data if such perilous situation occurs whenever.

Summarize Information

Name- PicoVirus Ransomware

Type- Ransomware, Crypto-virus

Description- Deadly crypto-malware that encrypt users’ crucial files and then ask them to pay off for the decryption key.

Extension- “.pico”

Ransom note: “README.txt”

Attackers’ Contact- “[email protected]”

Symptoms- All of your important files and data are locked and can’t be opened without using a private key.

Distribution-Spam email campaigns, Executable files etc.

Damage- Causes permanent data loss and can also drop other pernicious infections onto the compromised device.

Removal- Manual and automatic guidelines as provided under this article

How Does This Infection Get Spread:

Opening spam email attachments, playing Online games, using infected removal drives, sharing peer to peer network, watching adult movies etc. are prime causes behind the infiltration of PicoVirus Ransomware into the Windows PCs. And hence, you need to be very careful while browsing the web and stay away from these vicious sources to keep the machine harmless and secured. Moreover, some people may download this malware totally willingly finding a way to get rid of a problem for free. You should always keep in mind that there is not an easy way to get rich. If some web portals offer you free accounts, free money or some questionable high discounts, then is probably a scam. The motive will be either to steal your confidential information or to inject malware to your PC. But at the moment, don’t waste any time. Just take a quick action and remove PicoVirus Ransomware from the PC by following the effective removal steps given below.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

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

Step 2: Delete PicoVirus Ransomware using “System Restore”

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

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