How to Remove Aye Ransomware Virus (+File Recovery)

How to Remove Aye Ransomware?

Aye is yet another variant of the Dharma ransomware. It’s a dangerous threat that invades undetected, then wreaks havoc. Its programming acts up, and it locks every single file on your computer. Then, it demands payment for their unlocking. Getting stuck with a ransomware, forces you to make a choice. Comply, and rely on blind faith. Or, don’t, and lose your data. Well, it might seem like an easy choice to make, but it’s not. Experts urge towards the tough but right call. Don’t comply and discard your data. Yes, it seems harsh, but it’s the proper thing to do. Otherwise, you’ll regret it more. Compliance leads to payment, and payment does nothing but waste your money. You have to realize, you’re dealing with cyber kidnappers. Extortionists, who are after your money. They don’t care that you get your files back. They care about monetary gain. You cannot rely on these people to keep their word. They won’t. They’ll break their promises, and double-cross you. Don’t pay them a dime. Don’t reach out to them. To do so leads to regret.

How did I get infected with?

Ransomware tools are sneaky. They resort to trickery, and attempt to invade undetected. And, if you’re careless, they succeed. Your carelessness allows the infection to slither in, unnoticed. Let’s elaborate. Infections, like ransomware, prey on your distraction to sneak in. They need you to give into gullibility and haste, and leave your fate to chance. They rely on you to skip doing due diligence, and choose luck over caution. If you oblige, you’ll end up with a cyber threat. So, don’t! Don’t choose carelessness over caution. One helps you to catch infections in the act of attempting invasion, and deny them entry. The other does not! Instead, it does the exact opposite. You end up allowing threats to slip by you. The usual methods, infections turn to, include the following. Lurking behind freeware, corrupted links, or torrents. Posing as a bogus system or program update. And, of course, using spam emails as a way to trick you into installing them yourself. One day, you get an email that appears to come from a legitimate source. It urges you to download an attachment, or click a link. And, if you do, you end up with a cyber threat. Don’t be naive, and don’t discard the importance of vigilance. Always take the time to be thorough, and do your due diligence. It goes a long way, and can save you countless troubles.

Why is Aye dangerous?

After Aye invades, it doesn’t take long before it strikes. It uses cryptography algorithms to encrypt your data. Then, extorts you for their decryption. The tool locks every file, you have on your computer. Documents, archives, photos, music, videos. Nothing escapes it. After it finishes the encryption process, your data is no longer usable. It gets rendered inaccessible, and the only way to change that, is to comply. The infection demands you contact the cyber kidnappers via email. Once you do, you’ll get provided with further instructions. The ransom amount is not specified from the start, but it’s expected to get paid in Bitcoin. And, even a single Bitcoin can be anywhere from 500 to 1000 US Dollars. Or, even more than that. However, even if the ransom is a dollar, you still shouldn’t pay. Regardless of the price, payment is ill-advised. Even if you pay the extortionists, what do you imagine happens next? You’re left at their mercy. You expect them to follow through on their word, and send you what they promised. You expect to receive a decryption key to remove the encryption. Well, what if you don’t? What if, after they get your money, they send you nothing? That’s a valid possibility. And, even if you do get a key, it can prove to be the wrong one. And, fail to work. But, even if it does, and you remove the encryption, what then? Yes, you got rid of the encryption, but the infection remains. The ransomware still lurks on your PC, ready to encrypt everything once more. Don’t play that game. Don’t fall for the promises of cyber criminals with malicious intentions. Don’t pay the ransom. Don’t contact these strangers.

Aye Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Kill the Malicious Process

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

STEP 3: Locate Startup Location

STEP 4: Recover Aye Encrypted Files

STEP 1: Stop the malicious process using Windows Task Manager

• Open your task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Locate the process of the ransomware. Have in mind that this is usually a random generated file.
• Before you kill the process, type the name on a text document for later reference.

• Locate any suspicious processes associated with Aye encryption Virus.
• Right click on the process
• Open File Location
• End Process
• Delete the directories with the suspicious files.
• Have in mind that the process can be hiding and very difficult to detect

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

STEP 3: Locate Aye encryption Virus startup location

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”
• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to:

Navigate to your %appdata% folder and delete the executable.

You can alternatively use your msconfig windows program to double check the execution point of the virus. Please, have in mind that the names in your machine might be different as they might be generated randomly, that’s why you should run any professional scanner to identify malicious files.

STEP 4: How to recover encrypted files?

• Method 1: The first and best method is to restore your data from a recent backup, in case that you have one.

• Method 2: File Recovery Software – Usually when the ransomware encrypts a file it first makes a copy of it, encrypts the copy, and then deletes the original. Due to this you may try to use file recovery software to recover some of your original files.
• Method 3: Shadow Volume Copies – As a last resort, you can try to restore your files via Shadow Volume Copies. Open the Shadow Explorer part of the package and choose the Drive you want to recover. Right click on any file you want to restore and click Export on it.