Remove Infowait Virus Ransomware (+File Recovery)

How to Remove Infowait Ransomware?

Infowait is a malicious cyber menace. It belongs to the ransomware category, and you mustn’t underestimate it. It’s quite the treacherous threat. As soon as it invades, it proceeds with corruption. The tool wastes no time. It uses AES encryption to lock all your data. That’s right. Each file, on your computer, gets encrypted. Photographs, videos, music, documents. If you have it on your PC, you can no longer access it, after Infowait gets done with it. The tool adds the ‘infowait‘ extension, thus rendering the file unusable. Say, you have a pic called ‘winter.’ After Infowait gets done with it, it becomes ‘winter.infowait.’ Ransomware tools can sometimes even restrict Internet access. So, they can prevent users from looking to the web for help. The infection blackmails you. It encrypts your information. Then, demands payment for its decryption. The ransom amount differs, but tends to range between 500 and 1000 US Dollars. It can even surpass that. The cyber kidnappers tend to request payment in Bitcoin, because it’s safer for them. You might even get a time limit. There’s usually incentive to go with the deadline. Along the lines of ‘if you delay payment, we delete your data.’ Don’t let that frighten you! It’s classic scare tactics. The infection uses fear mongering, and aims to get you to act against your better interests. Payment does nothing but worsen your predicament. Don’t pay. Don’t contact them. Don’t do anything. It may seem harsh, but the best course of action is to cut your losses. Say goodbye to your data. Next time, make backups. The fight against a ransomware is rigged against you. You lose no matter what.

How did I get infected with?

The Infowait threat seems to pop up out of the blue. Well, that’s not the case. In reality, it slips into your system, because of you. Rather, it manages to invade, because of your carelessness. It employs the old but gold invasive methods. And, slithers its way in, because you choose carelessness over caution. It may seem a bit confusing, so let’s explain. Say, you receive an email. It seems legitimate. The sender is a well-known company, like Amazon. You open it, and it urges you to download an attachment. Or, click a specific link. If you don’t do your due diligence, but follow these instructions blindly, that’s it. You end up with an infection on board. That’s only part of their trickery. These threats have many available methods of invasion, they can turn to. They can also lurk behind corrupted torrents, and fake updates. As well as, use freeware as a way in. Their deceptions are prolific. Don’t make the mistake of relying on luck, instead of vigilance. Don’t leave your fate to chance. Always take the time to be thorough. Even a little extra attention can save you countless issues. Choose caution over carelessness.

Why is Infowait dangerous?

Infowait locks your files, and demands a ransom for their release. The infection claims that, if you comply, you’ll get a decryption key. Apply it, and your files get decrypted. It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not that simple. Here’s the thing. Let’s look at your options. Say, you believe the infection’s promises. You comply, and transfer the amount, they demanded. But, then what? You wait. You wait to receive the decryption key, they promised you. What if they don’t? What if you never get it? Your data remains locked, and you’ve lost money. That’s no good. But, even if you get the key, that guarantees nothing. What if it’s the wrong one? What if it doesn’t work? You’re still left with encrypted data, and less money. And, even if it does turn out to be the right key, think about it. You paid money for the decryption of your encrypted data. Not for the removal of the infection that encrypted them. It’s still somewhere on your computer. And, at any moment, it can act up again. Sure, you might find it in time to delete it, but are you willing to risk it? Aren’t there too many ‘what ifs’ for the risk to be worth it? Make the tough call. Ramsomware, like Infowait, are formidable opponents. Forsake your files. This is a battle, you can’t win. The sooner you accept that, the better.

Infowait Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Kill the Malicious Process

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

STEP 3: Locate Startup Location

STEP 4: Recover Infowait 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 Infowait 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 Infowait 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.