Igvm Ransomware - How to remove

Igvm ransomware infects Windows computers, encrypts (corrupts) files, and then demands a payment of hundreds of dollars for fixing the files. It is very dangerous.

The best way to stay safe from Igvm is to have a backup of your data. That way, even if your computer is attacked by ransomware, you won’t lose your data.

However, not everyone has backups. Luckily, there are some ways in which victims of Igvm might be able to get some of their data back.

Igvm in short:

Threat type	Ransomware, trojan.
How Igvm ransomware infects computers	Igvm spreads with pirated programs, it gets installed with other malware.
Can you get your data back?	See if the free decryptor works on your files, use file recovery tools, look into repair options.
How to delete Igvm	Use antivirus programs (Spyhunter, others) to remove malware infections, reinstall your OS and make sure to delete all the files that may have infected your computer with malware.

How to recognize an Igvm infection

Igvm spreads with pirated files

If Igvm ransomware infected your device, you might have got a warning from your antivirus program. Security tools detect Igvm ransomware as Trojan, Malicious, Unsafe, Kryptik, Ransom, etc. (Virustotal.com).

The detections might be multiple, as Igvm likely gets downloaded and installed together with spyware, adware, and other malware. (In fact, after you remove all malware from your computer, it is advised to reset your passwords as they might have been stolen by spyware.)

But some users might ignore these warnings and even disable their own antivirus security. This is because Igvm (and other Djvu-type ransomware, such as Rejg, Wrui, Pcqq, and others) spread with pirated files: cracks for various commercial programs (Office, Adobe products), “free” versions of expensive programs. Antivirus alerts are expected when dealing with pirated software, which is why people might feel comfortable disabling their antivirus.

Another note is that Igvm is very new. Antivirus scanners sometimes have a hard time detecting new threats. This is why timely antivirus updates are so important.

It encrypts files and changes their names

Once Igvm is on a computer, it quickly disables Task Manager and it may disable security programs. It also deletes backups (Shadow Copies, Restore points).

Then, Igvm starts encrypting files: documents, spreadsheets, code, pictures, music, and many other file types. To mark them as encrypted, Igvm changes their names by appending a new extension – “.igvm”.

If you have set your Windows to show file extensions, you will see the files as having two extensions, for example:

picture.jpg.igvm

And finally, Igvm creates ransom notes called _readme.txt. These notes ask the victims to contact the people who are responsible for Igvm and to send them money.

Can you recover your files?

Encryption by Igvm is secure – there’s no practical way to break or crack it. So, if you didn’t have a backup of your data, is it possible to get it back?

You could follow the instructions in the ransom notes to get the decryption key and restore your files to their state before the Igvm attack. But that would require you to contact cybercriminals and risk hundreds of your dollars, as well as precious time just for a chance to get the key. The criminals might take your money and ignore you.

There are a few other options:

• Data recovery programs like EaseUS can restore deleted data. Your mileage may vary, though.
• The Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP Djvu is a legitimate tool developed by a ransomware expert. It can decrypt Djvu-encrypted files, but only in very limited circumstances. Try it on your data, just don’t get your hopes up.
• Some files, such as archives and media files, might be corrupted only partially, in which case, they might be partially repaired.

How to delete Igvm

You can use an antivirus program, such as Spyhunter, to find and remove Igvm, as well as all spyware and adware that might have been installed with it.

Or just reset your PC. Though you should make sure that no malicious files survive to avoid getting reinfected.

In the future, be very careful where you download programs from. Always keep your antivirus on and/or take advantage of Windows Sandbox to check if files are safe.

Important -- edit the hosts file to unblock security websites

TL DR : The hosts file is edited to block security sites Before the virus can be removed, it's necessary to fix the hosts file (the file which controls which addresses connect to which IPs). That is the reason the majority of security websites is inaccessible when infected with this particular parasite. This infection edits this file to stop certain websites, including anti-malware download sites, from being accessed from the infected computer, making browsers return the "This site can't be reached" error. Luckily, it's trivial to fix the file and remove the edits that were made to it.

Find and edit the hosts file

The hosts file can be found on C:/Windows/System32/Drivers/etc/hosts. If you don't see it, change the settings to see hidden files.

1. In the Start Menu, search for Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, find Appearance and Personalization.
3. Select Folder Options.
4. Open the View tab.
5. Open Advanced settings.
6. Select "Show hidden files...".
7. Select OK.

Open this file with administrator privileges.

1. Open the Start Menu and enter "notepad".
2. When Notepad shows up in the result, right-click on it.
3. In the menu, choose "Run as administrator"
4. File->Open and browse for the hosts file.

The hosts file should look like this: Delete additional lines that they connect various domain names to the wrong IP address. Save the file.

Download and run the antivirus program

After that, download antivirus programs and use them to remove the ransomware, the trojan, and other malware. Spyhunter (https://www.2-viruses.com/reviews/spyhunter/dwnld/).

Automatic Malware removal tools

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

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Igvm 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 Igvm Ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Igvm 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 Igvm 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 Igvm 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.