3 Ways To Restore Encrypted Files From Ransomware
This guide will explain you 3 ways to restore your encrypted files from ransomware. But before that, we have tried to explain our readers, the ransomware encryption process. So that you can understand what ransomware do to your files, and why you are not able to access them.
Also Read: What is Ransomware?
Ransomware Encryption Process
The Ransomware threat encrypted files on the target computer using strong encryption algorithm. The ciphers used to encrypt the files are a pair of public-private key. The ransomware authors harvest the system related information to generate a unique key that represent the author. You can find the unique key within the ransom note or with the extension used to lock the files. And the private key is stored within the hackers server, which the authors of the ransom claim to be the decryption key.
Ransomware Encryption Process. Picture credit: welivesecurity.com
The authors of the ransomware takes the advantage of that to make users pay huge amount of money in crypto-currency to purchase the key from them. However, paying to the cyber-criminals should never be an option. As they cannot be trusted and secondly this will encourage them to make their business more stronger.
So, better to use an effective anti-ransomware tool to remove the malware and try out the recovery options below.
3 Ways To Recover Your Encrypted Files
Here is the 3 Ways To Restore Your Encrypted Files on Windows OS.
Method 1: Backups
Security experts always advice to keep a backup of your important files and documents. So, if have been regularly backing up your data and you can restore them after successfully removing the ransomware threat. If you still haven’t started backing up your important data then remove the ransomware threat and start back up using various online and offline modes.
You can check for your backups in Google Drive, OneDrive or Hard Drives, if any you have.
EaseUS Todo backup
If you have not started backing up your data, then firstly you start doing now, to secure your data.
We recommend- EaseUS Todo Backup is a leading cloud solution. It protects your system and data from ransomware and makes file recovery easy in case of ransomware attack.
Features:
- Uses automatic and custom backup options. You can either select specific files, folders, directories and even create a clone of entire Drive.
- It compresses file images to save space, and encrypt the files to prevent it from Ransomware/malware attacks.
- Uses smart backup, which keeps on checking for any updates every half an hour. And does a full-backup of every 7 day.
- For instant backup of any file, just select files/folders–> right-click in Window Explorer and add to Smart Backup .
- Allows access of data anytime, anywhere.
Its a worth trying product, when it comes to protecting the privacy.
Method 2: File Recovery Software
If you don’t have any manual backup of your files, then you can try to recover your encrypted files by using data recovery software tools. As some ransomware threat before encrypting the files make a copy of it and then delete the original ones. So, there is a possibility that file recovery software can help you recover some of your data. We recommend some top rated data recovery tools that you can try to recover the file infected.
- Windows Data Recovery-Stellar(For Windows Users)
- Media Recover Professional Tool
- Stellar Data Recovery – Professional (For Mac Users)
Method 3: Shadow Volume Copies Or Windows Restore
If the file recovery software also does not help you, then the last way is to try a recovery process by restoring the Shadow Volume Copies. Unfortunately, many of the ransomware also deletes the shadow volume copies of the files encrypted on the attacked computer. So that the user have no way left to recover their files. But sometimes it may not be able to do so, thus, you can try this method to restore your files.
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Windows Restore:
This feature is known as Previous Versions. However, you can only use this feature if you have set any restore point that was create prior to the attack of the ransomware. This feature will help you to restore your Windows state at that point of time.
1. Open File Explorer.
2. Choose the infected file by clicking the right-click and choose Restore previous versions.
Windows Restore Files
3. This will open “Previous Versions” window to show the backup copy of the files if any. Choose the time prior to the attack and click on Open or Restore. This will restore the file to the time before the encryption had occurred. If you don’t see any versions, it means you haven’t set any Restore point earlier.
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Shadow Volume Copies
This feature by windows is known as Shadow Explorer which allows users to retrieve and restore previous versions of the files stored on the computer.
1. Download the ShadowExplorer from its official web site only.
2. Follow the simple on-screen instructions to Install the program.
3. After the program is launched. You will the list of drives that opens a list to choose the files and folders to the left menu. You can also choose the specific time to which you want to restore the files.
Shadow Explorer File Recovery
If found, click on Restore.
Bonus: While you can search for online decryptor tools to check if the decryption of available. These are mostly free service provided by the experts after analyzing and cracking the encryption.
So, should check it out:
Hope this article is helpful to you.
