AcroWare Virus - How to remove

AcroWare virus is categorized as a ransomware, but we need to set some things straight here. Most of the ransomware viruses use some kind of cryptography to lock personal files that are stored on the computer and add a unique extension to the end of it but in this case, AcroWare just locks the screen of the computer and demands a ransom to be paid in order to unlock it. It means they do not have the technology to encrypt files, this virus simply operates as a screen locker.

They try to trick users by claiming that their personal files are encrypted but it’s actually not true. AcroWare can’t do that, they are just trying to make money the easy way. That’s why you should not pay the ransom – there are other, much cheaper methods to fix this problem. Also, by paying the ransom you would support cyber criminals and they would be able to invest that money into the development of other malware.

In case you have no clue how to remove AcroWare and solve this problem, please proceed with reading the article. We will provide you with all necessary information about this virus as well as detail instructions on how to get rid of it.

Why Your Computer Was Infected

Ransomware viruses usually are targeting users through spammy emails. Cyber criminals launch malspam campaigns and attach malicious files to them. Those emails usually are crafted using social engineering techniques. They claim that there are some important documents (such as an invoice or legal papers) prepared for you and in order to access them, you need to open the attachment. When that is done, all malicious files are extracted and uploaded directly to your computer. There is no way back then.

Also, AcroWare can be infiltrated into your computer by other malware that is already operating on it. That’s why having browser hijackers or adware is very dangerous. Even though it can’t cause severe damage itself, it can lead to much more severe consequences.

Probably the best move to protect your computer from viruses like this one is to have a decent anti-malware tool running in the background all the time. Programs like IObit Malware Fighter or Plumbytes should do a good job of protecting your computer. By the way, they both are free, so give it a try.

Malicious Features of AcroWare

So as you already know, this virus is only pretending to be legitimate ransomware – it doesn’t have the ability to actually lock files, but instead of that, it will ’lock. The screen will be locked and this message will be displayed in there:

Your Computer Got Sniped by AcroWare Cryptolocker!
All your Personal Data got encrypted and the decryption key is stored on a hidden
webserver, after 72 hours thedecryption key will get removed and your personal
data/files are Lost forever. To get the decryption key and saveyour personal data/files
you have to pay 80 USD/EUR in Bitcoins to this Bitcoin Adress: 1KyU66252TCEWapwufy8quALawySij84
and send a email with your ID(Top Left) and your bitcoin adress to this email adress:
[email protected] any try of removing this Ransomware will result in an instantly
delete of the Decryption key and all your files!

They want you to pay $80 in Bitcoins. As a result, your screen should be unlocked and files decrypted (even though they weren’t encrypted). Don’t do that – it’s much better to simply remove AcroWare infection from your computer using professional anti-malware tools.

How To Delete AcroWare From A Computer

To access your operating system and remove AcroWare virus from it you will have to enter the safe mode. Instructions below is a step-by-step guide on how to do that. Then, you will have to download and scan your computer with Spyhunter. Either one of those programs are effective in fighting against ransomware, so it will take no time to detect and remove all malicious files that are associated with this virus.

We have analyzed and removed a lot of screen lockers, such as Padlock Screen Locker, SkullLocker Screen Locker or DilmaLocker.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to recover AcroWare Virus encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before AcroWare Virus has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of AcroWare Virus

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to AcroWare Virus. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore AcroWare Virus affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually AcroWare Virus tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover AcroWare Virus encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.