I wrote this article to help you remove Serp Ransomware. This Serp Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.
Serp is a ransomware infection. According to researchers, it seems like Serp is a new variant of the Serpent virus which tormented users way back. Regardless of its origin, Serp is a ransomware. So, don’t expect any originality from it. If you have seen one of them, you have pretty much seen all of them. Like almost all ransomware pieces, this one follows a standard pattern. First, it invades your system in silence. Then, it encrypts all of your files. And finally, it blackmails you for money in exchange for your locked files. Let`s get into details.
First, the invasion. Do you know how Serp managed to get in? Did you download it on purpose? We doubt it. And yet, here it is. Serp mostly relies on spam email messages to slither in your machine. It disguises itself as an email from a friend of yours, a relative or a legitimate company like Facebook, for instance. These malicious emails contain an attachment. It could be a document, a picture, a file, etc. If you download said attachment, you practically give your permission to Serp`s installation. This is why you have to be extra careful. Don’t open every email you get and don’t blindly download its attachment. Be cautious. Infections pray for your haste, distraction and carelessness to succeed. Don’t grant them. Be vigilant. A little extra attention could save you a ton of issues.
Once in your system, Serp doesn’t waste time. It located all of your files that you have on your PC and encrypts them with the AES-256 encryption algorithm. All of a sudden, you cannot access any of your pictures, videos, music, presentations, MS Office files, etc. They are all encrypted and hence beyond your reach. Also, to solidify its hold over your data, Serp append the “.serp” extension to each locked file. For instance, if before the encryption you had a picture named “summer.jpg”, after being locked, it becomes “summer.jpg.serp”. Seeing this add-on means that the file-locking process is over.
All of your data is being kept hostage and you cannot do anything about it. You cannot use any of the files and nothing you try works. You can try renaming or moving them into another folder but this does nothing. Then Serp drops a file for you. Its ransom note – “README_TO_RESTORE_FILES{random}.txt.” This is a message from the crooks explaining your situation. The note says that you have been infected with a ransomware and that your files are encrypted. More importantly, the note offers you a solution. Of course, it revolves around money. It is simple really.
According to the crooks, if you want your files back you have to pay a ransom. Once you do, they promise to send you a special decryption tool to free your data. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it is not. Don’t forget that these same people who encrypted your files are nor offering you a way out. You cannot trust them even for a second. What guarantees do you have that once you pay, they will keep their end of the deal? None. You have no guarantees. They may take your money and not send you anything in return. Or, they may send you a tool which doesn’t work. And even if you pay and they give you the right decryptor, you still lose.
Yes, you will be able to free your files but for how long? The decryptor only goes so far. It removes the encryption, not the infection. Serp remains on your machine undisturbed and ready to strike again anytime. Are you ready to be sent back to square one hours after freeing your data? Or, it can be days, weeks. It doesn’t matter. As long as the ransomware is on your machine, you are always in danger. Also, how many times are you willing to pay these people? To sponsor them? Yes, the money you give them is used for nothing but more malware creation. Not to mention that by paying you are also exposing your private information to these crooks.
Do the right thing and don’t give these people even a cent of your money. Instead, use our removal guide below. It is completely free and it will help you remove this nasty ransomware from your PC once and for all. And a piece of advice for the future, always create backups of your most valuable files and never leave your machine unprotected. Get yourself a reliable anti-malware program, keep it updated, and perform regular scans on your computer to be sure it is infection-free.
Serp Ransomware Removal
Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, Serp Ransomware deletes all shadow copies, stored in your computer. Luckily, the ransomware is not always able to delete the shadow copies. So your first try should be restoring the original files from shadow copies.
- Download ShadowExplorer from this link: http://www.shadowexplorer.com/downloads.html.
- Install ShadowExplorer
- Open ShadowExplorer and select C: drive on the left panel
- Choose at least a month ago date from the date field
- Navigate to the folder with encrypted files
- Right-click on the encrypted file
- Select “Export” and choose a destination for the original file
Method 2: Restore your encrypted files by using System Restore
- Go to Start –> All programs –> Accessories –> System tools –> System restore
- Click “Next“
- Choose a restore point, at least a month ago
- Click “Next“
- Choose Disk C: (should be selected by default)
- Click “Next“. Wait for a few minutes and the restore should be done.
Method 3: Restore your files using File Recovery Software
If none of the above method works, you should try to recover encrypted files by using File Recovery Software. Since Serp Ransomware first makes a copy of the original file, then encrypts it and deletes the original one, you can successfully restore the original, using a File Recovery Software. Here are a few free File Recovery Software programs:
