How to remove Prnds Ransomware

Easy methods to delete Prnds Ransomware from PCs (Remove Dharma Ransomware’s variants)

Prnds Ransomware is very harmful crypto-malware and computer infection that is belongs to Ransomware family. It is designed to encrypt/lock all files stored in your System hard disk. During encryption process, it renames all files with .[[email protected]].prnds File Extension and drops the copies of ransom note as “FILES ENCRYPTED.txt” in each folder of your System. For more details, you can read this article carefully. Let’s starts the discussion.

What is Prnds Ransomware?

Prnds Ransomware is new variant of Dharma Ransomware that targets your Windows device and does malicious infection in your computer without permission. It is hard to detect/delete malicious programs related to Prnds Ransomware by most of the security software running in your machine, because it blocks all the security tools including antivirus. Due to blocked security tools/software, attackers behind this ransomware are capable of executing encryption module in your computer.

Prnds Ransomware injects malicious codes in each folder of your computer and makes all files types of files encrypted including images, audio, videos, games, pdf, ppt, xlx, css, html, text, documents, databases, archive and other files of your computer. In simple word, we can say that you can’t access or open your personal files anymore due to its malicious behaviors. When you try to open such encrypted files, then you get “FILES ENCRYPTED.txt” ransom note on machine that claims to recover or decrypt encrypted files immediately, once you pay demanded extortion money to them.

Prnds Ransomware claims that the only way to decrypt or recover locked files is to purchase and use its decryption keys/tools/software. Otherwise, they will delete all files & folders of your computer permanently. When we talk about “FILES ENCRYPTED.txt” ransom note, it states that all files of your computer hard drive have been encrypted and you need to pay demanded ransom money to them for decryption. You should never trust on them at any cases. If your System has detected this infection, then you should try to remove Prnds Ransomware from computer immediately.

Let’s take have a look at message displayed on ransom note:

YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED

Don’t worry,you can return all your files!

If you want to restore them, follow this link:email [email protected] YOUR ID –

If you have not been answered via the link within 12 hours, write to us by e-mail:[email protected]

Attention!

Do not rename encrypted files.

Do not try to decrypt your data 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 our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

Threat Analysis

Name: Prnds Ransomware

Type: File Virus, Crypto-Malware, Ransomware, File Locker

Description: This dubious crypto-malware is capable of encrypting all files stored in your computer and drops the copies of ransom note on screen. In other word, we can say that you can’t open or use your personal files or data as usual like before.

Distribution methods: Malicious ads or popup messages, fake software updates or security alert messages, spam email messages, infected attachments, torrent websites, bundles of freeware or shareware and many other tricks.

Motives of crooks: Aims to collect your sensitive information and shares it to other hackers or third parties to generate some revenue. They also want to steal your money from your wallet or e-wallet.

Removal & recovery solution: In case if your System has infected from Prnds Ransomware or related infection, then you need to scan your System with powerful antivirus software. After complete scan and malware removal, you can use powerful data recovery software to restore files encrypted by ransomware.

Should I pay extortion money?

Cybercriminals behind Prnds Ransomware attempts to tricks you into paying ransom money for fake decryption keys/tools. It also gives free decryption test for 2-4 encrypted files of your computer that successfully decrypt these files. After that, it forces you to pay huge amount of ransom money to decrypt rest of the files. They will never decrypt your files at any cases. So, we recommended you to please avoid paying any amount of extortion money to them. Its main motive is to collect your crucial & confidential details and share it to other hackers or third parties to generate some income from them. So, it is required to perform Prnds Ransomware removal steps and data recovery steps as well to get your files back.

How your System gets infected from Prnds Ransomware?

This nasty Dharma Ransomware’s variant is generally get enters into your machine from spam email messages and infected attachments. Cybercriminals send malicious emails in your mailbox which contain some messages along with suspicious hyperlinks and attachments. The attachments can be Microsoft Office documents, ZIP, RAR, JavaScript, PDF and other formats of files that can infect your machine deeply in order to open such infected attachments. So, you should be alert while surfing online and avoid opening attachments coming from unknown emails.

Precautionary measures:

• Create backup or keep strong backup of your all files including personal files and System files on some safe external storage device.
• You should keep up-to-date your operating System like Windows, Mac, Linux and other OS
• Scan the PC with powerful antivirus software in regular time intervals
• Remove all the faculty software running in your computer and update rest of software of your computer.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

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

Step 2: Delete Prnds Ransomware using “System Restore”

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

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

Step 3: Follow all on screen instructions to install the app successfully on your machine and run it.. When its interface appear before you. Just select what you want to recover from your computer and its drive. For options, check the image below as the app offer you to recover everything, document, folders or emails, or multimedia files. Depending upon your requirements, select any of options and proceed to next step.

Step 4: At this step, you will have to specify the past of data or files from where you are interested to recover lost or deleted data. The application offers you to recover data from common locations, connected drives, and other locations as well. Just choose what you need. Following selection, click on Next button and the app will start to scan the selected drive.

Step 5: Once the scanner finishes to scan, it will show you detected kinds of deleted data or files which you may require to recover. It will offer you various recovery options based on file types. Even it allows you to see preview of file types you select in order to recover those efficiently.

Step 6: Now, you may need to specify the path where you want to recover the selected files and saved. Just do it according to your requirements, and you are done.