How to remove W2tnk Ransomware: Restore locked files

Easy methods to delete W2tnk Ransomware in Windows 10/8/7 computer

W2tnk Ransomware is very dangerous file virus considered as Ransomware. It is new variant of Hive Ransomware 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. In sort, you can’t access or open your personal files anymore due to its dubious behaviours. It modifies each file by adding random character string and ‘.w2tnk’ File Extension to the original filename.

 For example, it renames ‘1.png’ filename to ‘1.png.KtUB5y9YUIkhr-nE5uQFND-LsaLA025U9cGyRLCb1y-qJC4Fb46kGCqxHHef6dlu.w2tnk’. After encryption process is finished, ‘fwDM_HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt’ text files as ransom notes are dropped into your Windows desktop. The text presented in ransom note states that all files of your computer hard drive have been locked and requires paying certain amount of extortion money for the decryption. According to attackers behind this ransomware, the only way to recover/decrypt your locked files is to make ransom payment for the decryption keys/software.

The ransom note also states that in order to uninstall this ransomware, renames locked files, or use third-party decryption software/keys, they will delete your all personal files permanently. 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 locked files within 1MB of size to provided email address. After free decryption service is successful, they force you to pay certain amount of extortion money to decrypt your files.

Keep in mind that they are not going to recover your locked files even when ransom payment is made. So, we recommended you not to pay any amount of ransom money to them at any cases. 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 all files or data on some safe storage and you can restore your data from backup. But before that, you should at first try to find and remove W2tnk Ransomware related files in computer as soon as possible.

How did you get W2tnk Ransomware in Windows computer?

Ransomware-type malware is mostly 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. The attachments can be Microsoft Office Documents, PDF, RAR, JavaScript or other formats of files. Once opened, it executes certain codes/scripts to install malware or rough programs in your machine. For example, Microsoft Office documents as malicious attachments infect computer by enabling malicious commands.

How to protect your system against Ransomware-type malware?

It is strongly recommended you not to open any attachments or hyperlinks presented in spam or irrelevant emails. You should check if ‘Anti-Spam Filter’ feature is enabled in your mail service you use. This feature when enabled, all spammy emails will automatically be delivered to spam folder of your mail service you use. You should never reply to spam or irrelevant emails at any cases. 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.

Let’s take a look at ransom note:

Your network has been breached and all data were encrypted.

To decrypt all the data or to prevent your sensitive data from leakage at

hxxp://hiveleakdbtnp76ulyhi52eag6c6tyc3xw7ez7iqy6wc34gd2nekazyd.onion

you will need to purchase our decryption software.

Please contact our sales department at:

hxxp://hivecust6vhekztbqgdnkks64ucehqacge3dij3gyrrpdp57zoq3ooqd.onion

Login:    ********

Password: ********

Follow the guidelines below to avoid losing your data:

 – Do not shutdown or reboot your computers, unmount external storages.

 – Do not try to decrypt data using third party software. It may cause

   irreversible damage.

 – Do not fool yourself. Encryption has perfect secrecy and it’s impossible

   to decrypt without knowing the key.

 – Do not modify, rename or delete *.key.w2tnk files. Your

   data will be undecryptable.

– Do not modify or rename encrypted files. You will lose them.

– Do not report to authorities. The negotiation process will be terminated

immediately and the key will be erased.

– Do not reject to purchase. Your sensitive data will be publicly disclosed.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Step 1: Remove W2tnk Ransomware through “Safe Mode with Networking”

Step 2: Delete W2tnk Ransomware using “System Restore”

Step 1: Remove W2tnk 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 W2tnk Ransomware using “System Restore”

Log-in to the account infected with W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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 W2tnk 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.