What is PadLock Screenlocker?
You should know that PadLock Screenlocker is the one responsible for locking your screen if you see a window with a padlock and a hashtag #PadlockScreenlocker covering Desktop. Evidently, it has been developed to lock users’ screens and thus do not allow them to access any programs, files, or use the computer. In most cases, such infections are created by cyber criminals to obtain money from users, but PadLock Screenlocker is different. It does not ask users to pay money to get the screen unlocked. Actually, there is no information about the removal of the screen-locking window available. This can mean only two things: a) this computer infection is still being developed or b) it has been created by bad people who only seek to make users feel annoyed. Either way, PadLock Screenlocker has to be removed from the computer to unlock it and be able to use it freely again. This is the only way to remove the screen-locking window from Desktop. Other measures, e.g. restarting the computer are not effective at all because this malicious application makes modifications in the system registry once it enters the computer so that it could stay longer on the system and could launch together with the Windows OS after every system restart.
What does PadLock Screenlocker do?
There is no doubt that PadLock Screenlocker is already inside the system if a window has been opened on Desktop. It contains only one sentence: “Your files have been deleted & your PC has been locked.” Yes, you could not use your computer freely and access your data because the screen is locked by this infection; however, we can assure you that your files have not been deleted. You will find them in their usual places when you unlock your screen. As has already been mentioned, no instructions on how to unlock the screen are provided. Therefore, the only way to remove the window with a padlock is to fully delete PadLock Screenlocker. The window locking the screen can be temporarily removed by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del, i.e. launching the Task Manager and killing the malicious process; however, it will appear on Desktop again after the system restart. Alternatively, users can enter the unlock code ajVr/G\RJz0R into an empty bar which can be found on the window covering the screen. Do not forget that entering this code does not mean that malware is removed from the system.
To make sure that it is still visible after the system restart and users could not erase it easily from their computers, PadLock Screenlocker makes modifications in the system registry. To be more specific, it creates the Value Google Chrome in the Run registry key (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run). Yes, it borrows the name of a legitimate browser. Evidently, this malicious application seeks to stay undetected. Luckily, the changes this threat applies when it enters the computer can be undone without much effort. The last paragraph of this article focuses on the deletion of PadLock Screenlocker.
Where does PadLock Screenlocker come from?
Researchers working at anti-spyware-101.com do not know yet how this malicious program is distributed due to its unpopularity. Of course, there is no doubt that it illegally sneaks onto computers. According to researchers, most probably, users download it from some kind of shady third-party source when trying to get a certain free program or a software crack from the web for free. Users must be quite experienced to be able to prevent such serious computer infections as PadLock Screenlocker from entering their PCs. If you do not consider yourself an advanced user, go to install a security application. It will not allow any similar malicious application to sneak onto the computer ever again.
How do I remove PadLock Screenlocker?
It is definitely not easy to remove PadLock Screenlocker from the system, but we are sure you will manage to erase it yourself by following our step-by-step manual removal guide which can be found below this article. As can be seen, you will have to kill the process of PadLock Screenlocker first to unlock the screen. Then, changes made by this threat in the system registry will have to be undone, and its malicious file will have to be detected and erased fully. Do not forget that other malicious applications might be performing activities inside your computer too! They all have to be deleted too.
Delete PadLock Screenlocker
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
- Open the Processes tab.
- Find and kill the malicious process (right-click on the process and click End Process).
- Find the malicious file of PadLock Screenlocker (check Desktop, %TEMP%, and %USERPROFILE%\Downloads to find it).
- Press Win+R.
- Type regedit and click OK.
- Move to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
- Right-click on the Value Google Chrome and select Delete.
- Scan the computer with SpyHunter to make sure that all the components of malware are deleted.
tested removal of PadLock Screenlocker*
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