Stop Ransomware Removal Guide

Do you know what Stop Ransomware is?

Stop Ransomware is another malware that can take your files away forever. The malicious application can do so by enciphering user’s files and as a result making them unrecognizable to the computer. The only ones who can decrypt such data and restore it are the cybercriminals behind this threat since they should have the unique decryption key and a decryptor. Of course, in exchange for it, they should ask the victim to pay a ransom. However, you should know there are no guarantees they will hold on to their word, which means there is a possibility the hackers could scam you. Therefore, instead of doing what they ask we recommend erasing Stop Ransomware with the removal guide available below this text or a reputable antimalware tool you trust. Eliminating it will not decrypt any data, but at least this way you will not risk your savings and will be able to make a fresh start with a clean system. Users who wish to get to know this malicious application better could read this article first as further in it we will reveal more important details.

There are a few possible ways of how Stop Ransomware may enter one’s system. To begin with, the threat could be accidentally installed by the user after opening its launcher unknowingly. For example, it might be a questionable email attachment you recently received, an unreliable setup file you got from torrent or other untrustworthy file-sharing web pages, etc. What’s more, there are situations when cybercriminals drop and launch the malware themselves after locating a weak point in the system and exploiting it. Because of this we would advise not only be cautious with various suspicious data downloaded from the Internet but also always keep your operating system and other vital software up to date so it would not have any known vulnerabilities. Additionally, it might be a good idea to acquire a reputable antimalware tool if you do not have it yet as it can warn about various threats and stop them as well.

It does not look like Stop Ransomware creates any Registry entries or other malicious executable files after entering the system. In other words, it might begin enciphering user’s data right after the user downloads and launches its installer. Once, this task is complete; all encrypted files should be marked with an additional .STOP extension and the malware should create a text document called “!!!YourDataRestore!!!.txt” or similarly. Our computer security specialists say inside of it the user should find a text asking to pay a ransom. What the cybercriminals behind Stop Ransomware wish to receive is 600 US dollars in Bitcoins. The sum looks a bit large, and it seems it could get even more significant as the note says the mentioned price is if the user contacts the hackers within first 72 hours after the computer gets infected. As stated before, we would not recommend putting up with this demand since there is a possibility these people may not keep up with their promise. If you do not wish to be scammed, you should just erase the malicious application.

Stop Ransomware can be deleted manually, and with automatic features, so the choice is yours. If you think you can handle the task you could try to get rid of it manually while following the removal guide located at the end of this text. Those who prefer automatic features should download a reputable antimalware tool instead and perform a full system scan. During it, all possible threats including this infection should be identified and to erase them all at once you would only need to press the provided deletion button.

Eliminate Stop Ransomware

  1. Click Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously.
  2. Pick Task Manager.
  3. Take a look at the Processes tab.
  4. Locate a process related to the malicious application.
  5. Select this process and press the End Task button.
  6. Click Windows Key+E.
  7. Navigate to the suggested paths:
    %TEMP%
    %USERPROFILE%Desktop
    %USERPROFILE%Downloads
  8. Find a file that was launched when the system got infected.
  9. Right-click the malicious file and select Delete.
  10. Look for a ransom note (e.g., !!!YourDataRestore!!!.txt).
  11. Right-click it and press Delete too.
  12. Leave File Explorer.
  13. Restart the computer.

In non-techie terms:

Stop Ransomware can ruin your precious files without you even noticing anything as once installed the threat should work silently in the background. To be more precise, the malware could encipher user’s documents, photos, archives, and other personal data. Without a unique decryption key and a decryptor, such files become useless as they cannot be opened. In order to obtain the mentioned tools, the cybercriminals may ask to pay a ransom of 600 US dollars. It is a considerable sum, and if you do not want to risk losing it, we would not recommend putting up with any demands. The truth is you cannot know if the hackers will not scam you as there is always a possibility they may not bother to deliver the promised tools. This is why our computer security specialists advise erasing the malware at once. To help our readers with this task, we prepared a removal guide you can find a bit above this paragraph.