POSHCODER - How to remove

POSHCODER is a ransomware virus that is programmed to encrypt .txt, .xls and .doc files. Encrypted files are set to .psd illustrator format. This ransomware is used very widely by various cyber criminals in order to hijack computers and encrypt files after which they ask for money. If your computer is compromised with POSHCODER, your personal files and various data is in a serious danger. If you noticed it, wait no more and take needed actions immediately. This ransomware can lock your files at the same moment your computer gets infected, so you have to be prepared and know what to do in this worst case scenario that can possibly happen to all computer users connected to the Internet. It is not so difficult to identify, if your PC is infected with POSHCODER – if your files get converted to .psd format without you initiating this, it’s probably the latter virus responsible for these actions.

Usually users are asked to pay a ransom, if they want to get back their encrypted files. In most of the cases cyber criminals use Bitcoins payment system to complete this deal because it is more complicated to track payments so hackers can’t be caught easily.

The most worrisome thing is that, even if you pay a ransom, your files can still stay encrypted. This happens to thousands of people all over the world every day.

If you are wondering how your computer can get infected with POSHCODER ransomware, the answer is very simple – usually it is hidden in phishing sites (we have written about this type of virus spreading in our previous articles). It’s not the only way how POSHCODER is distributed. It also comes bundled with other free software that can be found on the Internet, i.e. when you download something from a suspicious looking website. Be very careful during any new installations. Do not skip any steps and opt out for a custom or advanced install mode. Read all terms and conditions and make sure that POSHCODER is not bundled with it. If your computer is already infected with POSHCODER, we highly recommend to scan it with a trustworthy anti-malware like Spyhunter to find trojans that have installed this ransomware. After they are removed, you can restore your files using one of free file restore programs like Recuva, Puran File Recovery, Glary Undelete or Pandora Recovery.

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

 

Step 2. Complete removal of POSHCODER

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 POSHCODER. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore POSHCODER 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 POSHCODER 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 POSHCODER 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.