Do you know what Diskdoctor Ransomware is?
Diskdoctor Ransomware appears to be the latest addition to the Scarab Ransomware family. Same as the earlier versions, the malicious application seeks to encrypt user’s personal data and drops a random note saying the only way to unlock it is to write the malware’s creators via email. Apparently, their response email should contain further instructions on what to do to restore damaged files. Because of our experience with similar threats, we believe it is most likely the hackers would ask for paying a ransom in exchange for a decryption tool that could decrypt user’s files. At this point, it is vital to realize while the tool might exist there are no guarantees Diskdoctor Ransomware’s developers will deliver it. Therefore, thinking it might be too risky to deal with these people, we advise erasing the malware. If you think this would be the smartest thing to do as well, we encourage you to check the removal guide available below the article.
If you wonder where Diskdoctor Ransomware might come from, our computer security specialists believe it should be spread through suspicious email attachments. For example, the infected file could come from unknown senders or forged email address. This is why, wherever you receive a file you did not expect or do not understand why it was sent, you should inspect the email carefully: its message, sender’s address, subject, etc. If anything looks not right to you, we advise scanning the received attachment with a reputable antimalware tool first if you wish to open it. Keep it in mind the malicious application’s installer might look like a harmless text document or an image, so it may not necessarily be an executable file and because of this users should be even more careful.
After entering the computer, Diskdoctor Ransomware should start encrypting user’s pictures, photos, archives, various document, and other personal files one by one. Each of it supposed to have a second extension called .DiskDoctor, for example, photo.jpg.DiskDoctor, so it should be easy to separate damaged files. The next malware’s task is to drop a ransom note called HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT onto the infected computer. The text it in it should mention the hacker’s email address and ask to write to them to get further instructions on how to decrypt user’s data. The problem is the reply email could ask you to pay a ransom. It might be a huge amount of money, although even if it is something you can afford we would not recommend paying it. As explained earlier there are no guarantees the Diskdoctor Ransomware’s developers will send the promised decryption tool. Thus, it is advisable not to pay the ransom if you are not willing to lose your money in vain.
Provided, you refuse to put up with any demands; we would recommend erasing Diskdoctor Ransomware with no hesitation. To complete the deletion process manually, users could follow the removal guide available at the end of this paragraph. Naturally, if you prefer using automatic features rather than dealing with threats manually, you could install a reputable antimalware tool instead and do a full system scan.
Eliminate Diskdoctor Ransomware
- Click Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously.
- Pick Task Manager.
- Take a look at the Processes tab.
- Locate a process belonging to this malicious program.
- Select this process and press the End Task button.
- Click Windows Key+E.
- Navigate to the suggested paths:
%TEMP%
%USERPROFILE%Desktop
%USERPROFILE%Downloads - Find a file that was opened when the system got infected.
- Right-click the malicious file and select Delete.
- Look for files named HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT.
- Right-click them separately and select Delete.
- Leave File Explorer.
- Empty Recycle bin.
- Restart the computer.
In non-techie terms:
Diskdoctor Ransomware is a threat that might encrypt your data and leave you unable to launch it ever again. Even though the hackers who created the malicious application may offer a decryption tool for a particular price, keep it in mind they might never deliver it even if you put up with their demands. Therefore, if you do not like the idea of risking your savings we recommend erasing the malware with no hesitation. Once the system is clean and secure again, users could replace locked personal data with copies from cloud storage, removable media devices, and so on. Unfortunately, if you do not have backup copies, the only other options left would be to wait and see if volunteer computer security specialists could create a decryption tool for this threat or try special recovery tools. As for deleting the malware, we can offer two solutions: to get rid of it manually while following the removal guide available abode this text or employ a reputable antimalware tool and eliminate it with automatic features.