I wrote this article to help you remove .EXTE Ransomware. This .EXTE Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.
Do you remember the CryptoMix ransomware? Today`s article is about a new variant of this notorious infections. It is named the .EXTE virus based on the file extension it adds to the locked files. The good news is that all the previous CryptoMix versions have already been decrypted and this one is also decryptable. This article provides detailed information about the ransomware itself as well as how to remove the threat and decrypt your targeted data. Take a couple of minutes to read it and then don’t waste time but find and remove .EXTE immediately. This is a ransomware we are talking about. Aka, the most dangerous cyber infection. Do your best to clean your PC as soon as possible.
You are probably familiar with what ransomware pieces do. .EXTE doesn’t differentiate. It sneaks on your machine with the help of tricks and then encrypts your important files. Everything gets locked with a strong encryption algorithm. The ransomware targets a huge amount of file extensions. Once it locks your data, the pest also changes the names of the files with random characters and adds the “.EXTE” appending at the end. Your files start looking something like this “329B23D83H3H90D28DH23D910J1MSS.EXTE”. You are not even able to tell which file is an image, which is a video, or which is a document. They all look like this and your PC is unable to recognize them.
Once the file-locking process is over, .EXTE drops the standard ransom note which provides instructions on how to free your files. The note is a TXT document named “_HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT” and you can find it on your desktop. Of course, crooks demands involve money. The ransom note provides three email addresses (Exte1@msgden.net, Exte2@protonmail.com, and Exte3@reddithub.com) and states that you should send your unique ID via one of them in order to receive detailed payment instructions. We strongly recommend that you don’t. Don’t let hackers dupe you. Don’t contact them.
As we said, the CryptoMix ransomware and its variants are decryptable. You don’t need to pay. But not only in this case. Even if there were no decryptor available, you still shouldn’t pay. Crooks will only take your money and you may not receive a decryption tool at all. Even if you do, it still doesn’t remove the ransomware, which remains on board ready to strike again. Forget about paying. Use our detailed guide below, remove .EXTE from your machine and then continue following the instruction to safely recover your data.
How did the ransomware enter? Usually, hackers use clever tactics to distribute their malware executables. For example, they disguise it as a seemingly legitimate setup, uploaded online or a seemingly legitimate document which they send you in a Word, .PDF or Excel format. Also, the ransomware may be pretending to be a game crack or practically any other activation software on shady pages. This is why you should be very careful which pages you visit and what you click on. If you click on the wrong link or button, it may execute a drive-by download. Such downloads happen automatically without your awareness and the ransomware just parades in. Pay more attention and be more vigilant online. Hackers mostly rely on your carelessness and distraction to success. Don’t grant them.
.EXTE Ransomware Removal
Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, .EXTE 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 .EXTE 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:
