Do you know what R44s Ransomware is?
R44s Ransomware is a dangerous computer infection that targets users across multiple countries. Getting infected with this program is a terrible experience and we don’t wish it on anyone. However, if you somehow got infected with this ransomware, you need to scramble to remove R44s Ransomware from your system, and then look for ways to restore your files. You can find the manual removal instructions at the bottom of this description. Although we would strongly recommend acquiring a powerful security tool that would help you terminate R44s Ransomware automatically.
This program doesn’t come from any prominent ransomware infection family. It is probably a lone-wolf that simply follows the basic ransomware infection patterns. It means that R44s Ransomware gets distributed in the same ways that all of the other similar infections, too.
According to our research, R44s Ransomware should spread via spam emails, malicious downloads, or unsecured RDP connections. It all points out one thing: users have to download the ransomware installer file for the program to run on their systems. No one would ever download such infection willingly, so it is clear that users are tricked into downloading and running such files.
How can that happen? Well, according to our research department, the installer file for R44s Ransomware looks like a PDF document. And if you deal with such files every single day, you might think that the malware installer file is just another addition to your file dump. However, if that file comes from an unknown sender, you should definitely think twice before opening it. Normally, security experts recommend scanning the received file with a security tool before opening it. It would definitely minimize the malware infection potential.
R44s Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
On the other hand, if you fail to prevent R44s Ransomware from your entering your computer, you will soon experience the entire ransomware “adventure” palette. Not only does this program encrypt your personal files, it also goes as far as changing your wallpaper. When that happens, you will definitely know that your system was affected by this intruder. The desktop changes into a black background with red letters that says the following:
YOUR FILES HAVE BEEN ENCRYPTED
WITH -RANSOMWARE-TO DECRYPT YOUR FILES YOU NEED
AN AES DECRYPTION KEY
** CONTACT US IN 7 DAYS **
OR YOU CAN’T DECRYPT YOUR FILES ANYMORE
Now, if you were to go and check your files, you would see that all the affected files have an “.r44s” extension added to the end of their names. All the files with this new extension have been locked up by this ransomware infection. To make matters worse, R44s Ransomware also drops ransom notes on Desktop and in the %PUBLIC% directory. The ransom note comes in English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Persian, and Chinese. This shows that the infection aims to infect as many users in various countries as possible. The ransom note is pretty self-explanatory, and it employs the usual ransomware rhetoric:
!!! YOUR FILES HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH RANSOMWARE !!!
The Key to Decrypt Your Files Will Be DELETED in 7 Days
Send Me 1 BITCOINS (You Have Only 7 Days From Now)
The note then gives you the Bitcoin wallet address where you are supposed to transfer the ransom fee (by the way, 1 Bitcoin is approximately 7000 USD), and there’s also an infection ID that you have to send to the criminals using the email provided at the bottom of the note.
Needless to say, you should never do as told by these crooks. We would like to remind you that there is no guarantee these criminals would issue the decryption key even if you were to pay the ransom. Therefore, instead of doing that, you should remove R44s Ransomware today, and then look for ways to get your files back.
It shouldn’t be a problem if you have a file backup and you can transfer the healthy copies of your data back into your computer from there. On the other hand, if you don’t know what to do, you can always leave us a comment below, or address a local professional, who would tell you more about various file recovery options. The chances are that you can still retrieve some of your files.
How to Remove R44s Ransomware
- Press Win+R and type %PUBLIC%. Click OK.
- Remove the EXE file with r44s in its name. Press Win+R again.
- Type %APPDATA% into the Open box and click OK.
- Remove an EXE file with a random name from the directory.
- Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
- On the right side, right-click and delete the Message-19 value.
- Run a full system scan with SpyHunter.
In non-techie terms:
R44s Ransomware is a dangerous computer infection that tricks you into downloading and opening it. If you don’t want to deal with this ransomware, you have to be really careful about the files you download from unfamiliar sources. Also, it is strongly recommended to regularly back up your files on an external hard drive or a cloud drive. Having a file backup is the best remedy against a ransomware infection. Do everything you can to protect your files, and don’t ever think of paying the ransom fee.