I wrote this article to help you remove Xdata Ransomware. This Xdata Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.

Xdata is one of the most recently developed ransomware infections. According to experts, this parasite is mostly targeting Ukrainian PC users but this doesn’t mean that if you live in another country you are safe. No one is safe from online infections. And the ransomware family is the most dangerous one. All ransomware piece operate pretty much in the same way and they have the same goal. Your money. Xdata doesn’t differentiate. It aims at your bank account and it is your job to stop it.

Keep in mind that the more you procrastinate, the worse your predicament gets. Take experts` advice and immediately act against the threat. This is a ransomware we are talking about. This pest sneaks into your machine undetected, locks all of your files and them blackmails you for money. Don’t fall into that trap and don’t panic. Read this article in order to understand what you are actually dealing with, how to remove it and how to protect yourself in the future.

As soon as Xdata enter your PC, it goes after your files. The ransomware uses both RSA and AES encryption algorithm to lock your valuable data with asymmetric cryptography. This means that the infection generates both public and private keys. The RSA algorithm is used to protect the decryption key that you need to free your locked files. The key is stored on a remote server and you have to pay in order to use it. We will get back to that in a second. So, Xdata encrypts all of your sensitive and important files and as a result, you are no longer able to use them in any way. All you see are their icons but you cannot open/read/listen to/edit any of them. The ransomware keeps them hostage.

Also, to solidify its hold over your data, Xdata ads to them its pesky “.~xdata~” extension. Seeing this add-on means that the encryption process is over. All of your pictures, videos, music, files, presentations, documents, etc. have been turned into unusable gibberish. When the file-locking process is over, the infection drops a message for you, aka the ransom note. According to the note, the only way of getting your data back is with the above-mentioned decryption tool which you are supposed to pay a ransom for. The hackers usually demand between $200 and $2000 in Bitcoins. They claim that once you pay, they will send you the decryptor.

Don’t trust these people. In most cases, once the victim has paid, the crooks just take the money and don’t send anything. Or, they may send a tool which doesn’t work. But even if you pay and get the right decryptor, you still lose. The decryptor only removes the encryption, not the infection, meaning that Xdata can re-encrypt your files anytime. The question is how many time you are willing to pay cybercriminals. You do realize that by paying you are helping them expand their “business” and attack more people, don’t you? Don’t become crooks` sponsor. Forget about paying. Instead, follow our removal guide at the end of this article and remove the ransomware yourself. Then, when your PC is infection-free, follow the other steps to try and recover your encrypted data.

How to protect yourself in the future? When is come to ransomware it is best that you think and act in advance. You should always keep backups of your most important files and of your system in general. This way you know that once the infection is successfully removed, you will be able to safely restore your files. Also, ransomware pieces enter victims` machines with the help of the oldest tricks in the book. Like, spam email messages, for instance.

Always be extra careful when you receive an email from an unknown sender. Hackers often disguise the malware-delivering emails to look like legitimate ones in order to dupe victims into opening them. Don’t be careless and don’t blindly open any message that you get. Also, avoid shady pages and illegitimate torrents. Don’t click on every ad that comes your way. When installing an update/program/bundle, opt for the Custom options in the Setup Wizard instead of the Basic ones as they give you complete control over what enters your machine and what doesn’t.

Xdata Ransomware Removal

Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, Xdata 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.

1. Download ShadowExplorer from this link: http://www.shadowexplorer.com/downloads.html.
2. Install ShadowExplorer
3. Open ShadowExplorer and select C: drive on the left panel
4. Choose at least a month ago date from the date field
5. Navigate to the folder with encrypted files
6. Right-click on the encrypted file
7. Select “Export” and choose a destination for the original file

Method 2: Restore your encrypted files by using System Restore

1. Go to Start –> All programs –> Accessories –> System tools –> System restore
2. Click “Next“
3. Choose a restore point, at least a month ago
4. Click “Next“
5. Choose Disk C: (should be selected by default)
6. 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 Xdata 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:

1. Recuva
2. Puran File Recovery
3. Disk Drill
4. Glary Undelete