DedCryptor ransomware - How to remove

DedCryptor (also DEDCryptor) ransomware is an updated version of EDA2 ransomware. It remains a great challenge for cyber security experts since its script has not been cracked yet.

About DedCryptor Ransomware?

DedCryptor ransomware uses asymmetric encryption. Data is encrypted with AES-256 using a 32-character password unique for each victim. It appends .ded extension to the filename extensions of every encrypted file. For instance, essay.doc is turned into essay.doc.ded. DedCryptor encoder is different from other ransomwares in that it does not drop the file of the ransom note in folders of encrypted files. It does only replace the victim’s desktop wallpaper with the ransom message in Russian and a disturbing picture of Santa Claus. The size of the ransom is pretty hefty – 2 Bitcoins, that is 1,476.22 USD at the present moment. The contact e-mail provided is – [email protected]. The hackers must be contacted in 24 hours. If not, the decryption key will not be available. We highly recommend not to contact these cyber criminals as they may not provide you with the key or it will not work, or even worse, it may spread other ransomwares on your computer’s system.

How is DedCryptor Ransomware Distributed?

DedCryptor cryptomalware is a trojan virus. It employs spam e-mails and their attachments to sneak into your computer. These e-mails may be disguised as official ones or remain secretive and do not display the sender. They can contain links to corrupted websites into which malicious scripts have been injected. Or their attachments can enclose an executive file which, once executed, distributes the ransomware on the computer’s system. Fake Java or Flash Player updates may also be the case for the distribution of DedCryptor file encoder. Furthermore, if the computer does not have a trustworthy security software, its system can quickly become vulnerable and exploit kits, such as Angler EK, will definitely take advantage of this.

How to Decrypt Files Encrypted by DedCryptor Ransomware?

Security experts have not come up with the decryptor yet. Thus, the only means which can help you to restore your data are the data recovery tools such as Recuva, PhotoRec, software by Kaspersky Lab, etc. If you were wise enough to back up your data in some external storage such as Cloud Service or some hard drive, you are lucky. If not, try the recovery tools mentioned previously. But before performing any recovery works, make sure that the ransomware is eliminated from your computer. Set your PC in Safe mode and apply Spyhunter or Malwarebytes. These security scanners will perform a full system scanning which is essential in the case of malware infection. As, bear in mind, malware spread malware. You can also have a shot at manual removal. The free instructions for manual removal of DedCryptor ransomware are given below.

How to recover DedCryptor ransomware 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 DedCryptor ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of DedCryptor ransomware

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 DedCryptor ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore DedCryptor ransomware 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 DedCryptor ransomware 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 DedCryptor ransomware 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.

Manual removal