Topi Ransomware - How to remove

Yet another Djvu-type malware that came out this week is Topi. You will recognize it by files that have had their file type/extension changed to “.topi”. For example, a file that used to be called “picture.jpg” will become “picture.jpg.topi”. Topi is made to bring in profit to its creators, so it asks you to send hundreds of dollars in exchange for having your files fixed; in other words, Topi is ransomware.

In short about Topi ransomware:

Possible effects of a Topi infection	Files have “.topi” second extension, text files full of random symbols, most files do not open, adware and excessive pop-ups, hacked online accounts.
How ransomware infected your computer	Unintentionally downloaded from pirating sites.
How to restore the files	Restore the files from backups, wait for free decryption to become available, use shadow volume copies, use data recovery programs, repair large files.
How to delete Topi	Fix the hosts file to unblock security sites, use anti-malware scanner, like SpyHunter, change your passwords.

How to fix Topi files

Almost all the victims of ransomware have this burning question: how do I fix my files? Can you restore Topi files to normal?

You could pay the money that Topi is asking, but there are some problems with this. The cybercriminals can take it and run, leaving you without money and files. Topi’s ransom is up to $980, which is a lot of money to most of us. The decrypter that Topi’s makers provide is confusing and horrible to use, potentially allowing you to corrupt your files even further. And paying for your decryption keys would support the criminal activity, encouraging those people to continue to develop and spread their malware.

Topi uses cryptography to lock your files. Encryption is a great way to hide data by simply scrambling it until it looks like a string of totally random characters. Knowing the decryption key is enough to unscramble everything.

But world-famous ransomware researchers have combed through Topi’s sibling ransomware and found no way to break it. Contacting the cybercriminals behind Topi is the only way to get the decryption keys. You can’t guess them (they’re too complicated) and you can’t share them (they’re unique to each victim).

There is one exception. If Topi failed to download a unique encryption key while it was locking your files, then your key may be not-unique. If somebody buys it from the criminals and then shares it with the public, your files could be rescued, too.

Emsisoft is the company behind this effort, they incorporate Djvu the offline keys into a special decrypter. Chances are, if Topi used the offline key on your computer, your personal ID (found in the _readme.txt files and in C:\SystemID\PersonalID.txt) should end with “t1”. This isn’t 100%, but a good indication that some of your files may be recoverable (once some other unfortunate soul pays the criminals from their own pocket).

On the other hand, if Topi used the online key, then you can only hope that the criminals will be caught by law enforcement, or maybe they can have a change of heart and release master decryption keys. Needless to say, these are unlikely.

Other than that, you might be able to use data recovery to some success. This process recovers deleted files from hard disks.

It might be possible to save portions of your archive, audio, video, image, and other big files. Topi only encrypts portions of big files, such as the very beginning and end. Leave this for later, though, and put your “.topi” files somewhere safe. They’re not dangerous and you need to remove the malware first.

How to get rid of Topi

Topi comes in cracks, cracked software, “free” programs, and other pirated files. So do the other popular ransomware infections, like Reha, Nosu, and Kodc. So, you should remember where you got the infected file from and stay away from there in the future. Delete that file so that you don’t accidentally re-infect your machine.

Besides Topi, you may have been infected with a password-stealing trojan. This thing can download more malware on your computer, too.

Scanning your machine with a competent malware remover program, such as SpyHunter, should be enough. Your own antivirus program may not work because Topi tries to delete antivirus updates before it starts working on your computer. And since it blocks security sites, you need to take care of that, first.

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

 

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

Step 3. Restore Topi 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 Topi 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 Topi 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.