Do you know what Lick Ransomware is?
You probably can tell that Lick Ransomware is not a good program. This malicious infection enters your computer uninvited and basically takes your data hostage, demanding that you paid a ransom for a decryption key. Worse, the program may also pretend to be a decryption tool itself, thus you could get infected with two ransomware programs at the same time, if you have been looking for a way to decrypt your files already. This description, on the other hand, deals with the Lick Ransomware removal guide, so if your system has been compromised by some other ransomware infection, we recommend looking for it in our Spyware Techie database.
Ransomware is probably the most popular type of computer infections spreading around right now, and there are a lot of programs that come from the same source. Lick Ransomware is also based on the Kirk Ransomware that was released just recently, in March 2017. The problem with ransomware apps is that even if we know that several programs come from the same source, we seldom can apply the same removal guideless to all of the related infections. Not to mention that there is no way one individual decryption key would fit several programs unless they are entirely identical. Therefore, knowing that Lick Ransomware is related to Kirk Ransomware help us foresee what we can expect from this infection, but it does not make our task to remove it easier.
Users encounter this infection when they browse the web for ways to decrypt infected files. It is rather disturbing, but this program poses as a decryption tool, and thus you may accidentally download it from a freeware sharing website. It may also come in software packages or with spam emails. The point is that you should not trust third-party websites with the software they host, as they do not review or scan the third-party installers. To be honest, quite a few users download potentially harmful software from such sites without even realizing it. And it is hard to understand you are downloading Lick Ransomware, too because the filename for this program’s installer is FileDecrypter.exe.
Lick Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
When this file is saved in your Downloads folder or any other directory where you save all the downloaded data, all you have to do to get infected is launch it. The application does not drop additional files in your system, and the program runs from the launched directory. At first, it will seem as though you have launched an actual decryption program, but the truth is that at the very same time Lick Ransomware will start encrypting your files. And the program can encrypt a vast majority of your data because it supports a lot of file formats. The full list of the file extensions the program can affect is given in the ransom note, which also says the following:
To decrypt your .Licked files back to their original state, you need your pwd file to be decrypted.
And also the file decryption program. We will not supply either without the proper payment.
Once the encryption is complete, the program adds the .licked extension to all the affected files without changing the original filename. It also creates two more files in the original directory called pwd and stats.txt. The stats.txt file displays the entire list of every single affected file. Also, in the ransom note, Lick Ransomware gives you a list of timeframes and several ransom fees that correspond to each timeframe. It asks you to pay from $1200USD to $12000USD for the decryption key. It is obvious that the program simply wants to rip you off, so you should never look for ways to pay these criminals.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to restore your files with a public decryption tool at the moment because it is not available. But we are sure that you must have saved most of your frequently-used files in some other directory, perhaps in an external hard drive or in some cloud storage. You can transfer those healthy copies back to your computer once you remove Lick Ransomware and delete the infected files.
To be absolutely sure that all the malicious programs were deleted from your computer, please scan your PC with the SpyHunter free scanner, and then maintain your system’s safety by investing in a licensed antispyware tool.
How to Delete Lick Ransomware
- Open your Downloads folder or other directory where you save downloaded files.
- Remove the PWD, RANSOM_NOTE.txt, ERROR_LOG.txt (if present), and stats.txt files.
- Also, remove the FileDecrypter.exe installer file.
- Press Win+R and type %TEMP% into the Open box.
- Click OK and remove the _MEI40922 file in the directory.
NB: We would like to point out that the last file to remove in the %TEMP% directory may have a randomly generated filename.
In non-techie terms:
Lick Ransomware is a dangerous program that should not be taken lightly. This application will try to force you into paying an insane amount of money for a decryption tool they may not even issue. Hence, you need to remove Lick Ransomware from your PC right now, preventing this exploitation from happening. While you are at it, please get yourself a powerful antispyware tool that would safeguard your system from similar infections in the future.