What is RackCrypt virus?
Being hit by RackCrypt virus is probably the worst nightmare you can experience if you do not have backup copies of your most important files on an external HDD or pen drive. This is a serious Trojan crypto-ransomware that uses AES-256 encryption algorithm to encrypt all your major files. Once this infection has finished with its “dirty job,” it displays its ransom note that informs you about the situation and what you have to do to recover your files. Obviously, this is all about money. The criminals behind this malware ask for 1.3 Bitcoins (approx. 480USD) in return for the decryption key without which it is practically impossible to decipher the files. Although you might be unlucky to lose all your files, it is still vital for you to remove RackCrypt virus from your operating system; otherwise, it will keep encrypting all your new files. According to our malware researchers at Anti-Spyware-101.com, it is not worth wasting this high fee on criminals because you cannot be sure that your files will really be decrypted even if you pay. Of course, it is all up to you. But please consider who you are dealing with and how trustworthy these people can be.
Where does RackCrypt virus come from?
Probably the most common way for this Trojan to infect your computer is through spam e-mail attachments. Usually these attachments can be video files, image files, and also documents that can use macros. Apart from the attachments, the body of the mail can also contain links to trigger the download of this Trojan. Although you may think that today’s spam filters can weed out dangerous spams, you should not take this for granted. Care should be taken every time you open an e-mail. It would be best not to open any mails that you are not expecting or whose sender you are not familiar with. This goes for the attachments as well. This way you could at least avoid this Trojan if it attacks you through this channel.
Unfortunately, there are other ways for this ransomware to get to you. For example, it is possible that you want to download a free program, music, or video files, and you get redirected to a malicious website by clicking on a link provided by a search results page. Visiting questionable websites always has a price. It is possible that your click on an unsafe link or button and trigger the download of this Trojan. But a few new tab pages may also open with malicious content. You need to know that clicking anywhere on such sites may easily be responsible for downloading this dangerous infection in the background. What’s worse, you may also download a malicious bundle that accommodates several malware threats. Letting such a package onto your system could have catastrophic consequences depending on the content. We believe that this Trojan ransomware is more than enough to turn your virtual world into a nightmarish experience. However, if there are more infections present on your computer, you need to remove them all after you delete RackCrypt virus, even if the latter may be the most serious of them all. This is the only way to protect your computer from further security issues.
How does RackCrypt virus work?
This ransomware usually hides on your computer by using executable file names, such as firefox.exe and loader.exe. Research shows that this infection copies its files to the %Temp% directory. Then, the encryption process begins. Every encrypted file will get a .rack extension; thus, a file named photo.jpg will become photo.jpg.rack. If you are “lucky,” you might catch this ransomware in the act and realize that you cannot access your files or that they have a new extension. However, you need to have a very good timing to do so because the whole encryption process may last anything from a few seconds to a few minutes tops depending on the parameters of your machine and, of course, the number of files this malware has to process. Once it has finished, there is no way for you to unlock your files unless you can get hold of the decryption key. Of course, you will be informed about the encryption as soon as it is done. This infection will replace your desktop wallpaper and display a pop-up window. This window will inform you about your situation and also, how you can solve it: You have 3 days to send 1.3 Bitcoins (around 480USD) to the provided wallet address: “17Avc5GfDEzMeos71G2ftfpvfnvjkL2007.” If you transfer the ransom fee, the criminals promise to verify your payment within 2-3 hours. They even provide you an e-mail address, mvplocksvc@yahoo.com, in case the decryption process does not start. This would probably give you the feeling that you can actually “trust” these guys. But we still believe that it would be a waste of money to pay these criminals. But no matter how you decide, one thing is sure: You must remove RackCrypt virus if you want to ever use your computer again.
How to delete RackCrypt virus
Unfortunately, there is no manual method we could offer you this time to eliminate this severe threat. Instead, we recommend that you use an automated security tool, such as SpyHunter. Before you could download and install this application however, or any other antimalware program of your choice, you have to reboot your operating system in Safe Mode with Networking. Please follow our guide below this article to be able to clean your computer of RackCrypt virus and all other malware threats that may be present. Keep this tool updated for best performance and full protection. If you need assistance with this Trojan ransomware, please send us a comment below.
Remove RackCrypt virus from Windows
Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
- Reboot your system.
- Keep tapping the F8 key to display the boot menu.
- Choose Safe Mode with Networking.
- After the Windows loads, start up your browser.
- Copy and paste the following URL address into the address bar: http://www.anti-spyware-101.com/download-sph .
- Download and install SpyHunter.
- Perform a full-system malware scan and remove all infections.
- Reboot your computer in Normal Mode.
Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10
- Press Win+I and click on the Power options icon.
- Press and hold Shift while clicking on Restart.
- Pick Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced Options.
- Pick Startup Settings and click Restart.
- Tap F5 to restart your computer in Safe Mode with Networking.
- Start up your browser.
- Copy and paste the following URL address into the address bar: http://www.anti-spyware-101.com/download-sph .
- Download and install SpyHunter.
- Perform a full-system malware scan.
- Remove all infections and reboot your system in Normal Mode.
tested removal of RackCrypt virus*
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