I wrote this article to help you remove Crypton Ransomware. This Crypton Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.
Countless infections are constantly lurking on the Web searching for their next target. But there is one particular malware family, which is considered the worst possible one. It is ransomware, of course. Ransomware pieces are a complete and utter plague. Their one purpose is your bank account and they are going out of their way to get to it. Unfortunately, new ransomware threats are being created every day and the fight against ransomware is getting harder and harder. Crooks are coming up with more sophisticated and advanced versions, always one step ahead of researchers.
Crypton ransomware is one of these newly-developed infections, whose creators have put a lot of work in, making them dreaded and very hard to tackle. If you have been particularly unlucky Crypton to infect you, you are going to face a ton of issues. The sooner you remove the pest from your system, the better. Letting it stay will cause you lots of damage, some of which may be irreversible. As Crypton is newly-found, its distribution method is still unknown. It could be any of the ones other pieces use. Spam emails, freeware, corrupted links/pages/torrents, malicious ads, fake program updates. But it is a fact that all infections enter silently and behind the victims` back, so Crypton probably does the same. If not else, the pattern Crypton follows is definitely the same as other members of the ransomware family. It consists of three steps – Invade, Encrypt, and Extort.
Crypton uses a malware dropper to gain a foothold on your computer, should it be via spam, a malvertising campaign or another method. This malware dropper in the one to install the ransomware from the “crypton.exe” file. Once installed on your PC, the parasite proceeds to step two. The encryption process. It performs a quick scan of your machine looking for files to lock. Files like pictures, videos, Word documents, music, presentations, work-related data, etc. It uses the dual AES+RSA encryption scheme to lock your valuable data. It modifies your files by appending the “_crypt” extension at the end of each file name.
For example, a file called “summer.png”, after being locked it will be named “summer_crypt.png”. Seeing this extension is a clear sign that you no longer have access to your data. Due to the modifications, your PC is unable to read any of the locked files and, for you, they have been turned to unusable gibberish. Empty icons. When the encryption is over, the ransomware displays a ransom note to you. This is a message from the crooks behind Crypton and it is the final and most important step. The note reads:
It is created in both English and Russian, thus, it is probable that Crypton’s developers are Russian. As you can see, according to the cybercriminals the only way of recovering your files it by getting a decryptor, which, of course, you must pay for. In the versions recently observed, Crypton asked for ransoms ranging from 0.2 to 2 Bitcoin payment, which is in the $150 – $1,500 range. This is the main purpose of ransomware – to rip you off. Of course, it promises to decrypt your files once you pay but you have zero guarantees. Ransomware authors are not famous for being trustworthy and reliable.
Actually, in most of the cases in which victims have paid, they didn’t receive anything. No decryptor, no nothing. Don’t be one of this cases. Crooks only care about your money, not your files. You may end up double-crossed with empty pockets and locked files. Not to mention that by paying you are basically sponsoring the ransomware industry. That’s right. Your money will go directly for other malware development. And not only that. You are also giving crooks access to your privacy. Dealing with cybercriminals is a risky business and, the odds are, you are the one who is going to lose. Let’s face it – files are replaceable.
Even though at the moment there is no another way of decrypting files locked by Crypton, don’t fall into the crooks` trap. We have a better option. Remove this pest from your system, so its authors don’t have access to you anymore, and then start looking for safe ways to recover your data. The best one is, after getting rid of Crypton, to safely retrieve your data from a backup. That is if you have created one, of course. If not, you can search for help from specialists. Anything is better that trusting crooks, giving them a lot of money and hoping for the best. Our advice for you is to always create backups for your most valuable data in case of something like that happens again.
Free decryptors are not always available and, as we said, crooks are always one step ahead. Also, always be vigilant online. Whatever method of entering Crypton may use to trick you, if you are careful enough you may catch it on the spot. Getting a reliable anti-malware program is a good idea too. Get one, keep it up to date, and run regular scans to be sure your machine is infection-free. Now, to remove this ransomware once and for all, please, follow out detailed instructions below.
Crypton Ransomware Removal
Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer
Usually, Crypton 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 Crypton 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:
