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

This article is about the CryptoMeister infection which belongs to the family of ransomware. CryptoMeister is a classic member of this category and its goal is the usual. It enters your machine, encrypts your files and them blackmails you for money. Judging from the ransom note the pest leaves, it targets French-speaking users. We have a reason to believe so because the note is written in both English and French while the majority of ransomware infections have their notes only in English. However, you may get infected even though you are not French. The Internet has no boundaries so take the time to read this article anyway.

As we already stated, CryptoMeister is a classic ransomware and it follows a pretty standard pattern. Its first job is to enter your machine undetected. Of course, the pest turns to trickery and deceit to do so. Nobody would deliberately invite such a destructive pest on their PCs. This is why CryptoMeister uses tricks to get your permission on its installment. The most commonly used infiltration method involves spam email messages. If you receive a message from an unknown sender, proceed with caution. Hackers often attach their malware to a seemingly legitimate email and you do the rest by opening said email.

Another tactic is fake program update. While you may thing you are updating Adobe Player, you may actually be installing a ransomware infection. Be extra careful with shady sites/link/torrents as well. The methods a ransomware can dupe you with are many but if you are vigilant, you may prevent the infection. Do your due diligence. Also, get a reliable anti-malware program to help you keep your machine infection-free.

Once on board, CryptoMeister proceeds to the actual encryption. It locates and locks all of your private files. We are talking images, videos, music, files, documents. Everything gets encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm and you are not able to open any of the files anymore. They are all being kept hostage by CryptoMeister. Needless to say, trying to rename them or move them into another folder does nothing as well. All has been turned into unusable gibberish. This is when that bilingual note comes. After the file-locking process is over, CryptoMeister drops the ransom note on your desktop as well as in every folder, containing locked data. The message is also pretty standard. It states that if you want your files back, you have to pay 0.1 Bitcoins to the crooks.

Yes, 0.1 Bitcoins is not a lot of money but that’s not the point. The point is that paying doesn’t fix your problems. If anything, it buries deeper. Even if you pay, you may not get the decryption tool hackers promise. These people cannot be trusted to keep their end of the bargain. They may not send you anything. Or, what if they send you a tool which doesn’t work? But even they do give you the right decryptor and you free your data, what then? CryptoMeister is still on your PC and it can re-encrypt everything you just freed whenever it wants.

How many times are you willing to pay these people only to be sent back to square one hours later? Don’t give them even a cent of your money. It is not worth it not only because you don’t have any guarantees that you will receive the tool, but also because by paying you are sponsoring them and giving them access to your personally identifiable and financial credentials. Be smart. Don’t let crooks fool you. What you need to do is get rid of CryptoMeister. Only then you can try to safely recover your locked data. To do so, follow our detailed removal guide below. All you have to do is follow the steps in the exact order given.

CryptoMeister Ransomware Removal

Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, CryptoMeister 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 CryptoMeister 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