I wrote this article to help you remove Merry I Love You Bruce Ransomware. This Merry I Love You Bruce Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.
Newer and newer ransomware pieces are being developed every single day and crooks are becoming more and more creative. And not only with their products` features but with their names as well. We have come across some really bizarre infections` names and yet, the name of the ransomware you are stuck with still stands out. Actually, it is not the name of the pest, it is the extension it adds to the encrypted data.
While other members of the ransomware family append extensions like “.wallet”, “.braincrypt”, or “.[the name of the infection]”, this one adds the Merry_I_Love_You_Bruce extension at the end of each locked file. For example, the file named “me.jpg” after encryption it will become “me.jpg.Merry_I_Love_You_Bruce”. Seeing this “romantic” appendix means that all of your files have been effectively encrypted and they are now inaccessible to you. All of your pictures, music, videos, Word files, presentations, documents, etc. Even your work-related files are locked. Due to the pesky new extension, your PC is unable to recognize any of your files. You cannot open/view/use/ listen to them as they have been turned into unusable gibberish. How did this happen?
Ransomware pieces follow a pretty standard pattern. First, they use tricks to sneak in your system undetected. They need your permission to enter and as they know you won`t give it voluntarily, they rely on your distraction and carelessness. The entering tactics include spam email messages and malicious attachments, for example. Be careful with the emails you receive. The infection may be disguised as a legitimate message or as a job application. Don’t open everything that lands in your inbox.
Ransomware also travels the Web via exploit kits, corrupted sites/links/torrents, it can pose as a program update or it can be attached to a bundle. Stay away from illegitimate pages and unverified download sources. More often than not, they deliver malware. And last but not least, ransomware may even use the help of a Trojan horse to get in. Trojans often serve as a backdoor to these pests. So, check your machine as Merry I Love You Bruce may not be alone.
Once the ransomware is in, the next thing it does is scanning your machine in search for your sensitive files. And as we already explained, it finds them all and encrypts them with a strong encryption algorithm. Then it appends its pesky Merry_I_Love_You_Bruce extension, with which the locking process is over. However, while encrypting your data, the pest also created payment instructions for you – the ransom note. You can find this note on your desktop as well as in each folder, containing encrypted files.
According to the ransom note, you have to pay the crooks a certain amount of money and, in exchange, they will send you a tool to recover your files. Usually, the hackers demand a ransom between 0.5 and 1.5 Bitcoins. A single Bitcoin equals around $600, so do you the math. And yet, the problem is not about the sum. You shouldn’t pay them even if they wanted a single dollar. Why? Because you won`t get anything from it. The crooks promise to provide a key, but since when we are trusting cybercriminals? They are not famous for being reliable and trustworthy and, in most of the cases, they don’t keep their promises. They may not send you the tool at all.
Or, they may send you one that doesn’t work. But even if they send you the correct one and you decrypt your data, you remain in trouble. The decryptor only removes the encryption, not the infection. The ransomware itself will remain on your machine, ready to strike again whenever. How many time are you willing to pay the crooks and not get anything in return? You have to realize that, by paying, you are only making things worse.
First of all, you are sponsoring crooks. They will use all of your money for more malware creation and for business expansion. Second, you are encouraging them to think that, since you paid, so will most people. And third, you are exposing your personally identifiable and financial details to strangers. If they get their hands on your private data, they will use it as they see fit. And trust us on this, nothing good will come out of this. That’s why keep your Bitcoins and don’t let hackers fool you. Instead, use our removal guide below. It is completely free and it will help you deal with this nasty ransomware. Also, a piece of advice for the future, get yourself a good anti-malware program to help you protect your machine.
Merry I Love You Bruce Ransomware Removal
Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, Merry I Love You Bruce 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 Merry I Love You Bruce 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:
