Remove Promock Ransomware (+File Recovery)

How to Remove Promock Ransomware?

Readers recently started to report the following message being displayed when they boot their computer:

ATTENTION!
Don’t worry my friend, you can return all your files!
All your files like photos, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.
This software will decrypt all your encrypted files.
What guarantees you have?
You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free.
But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information.
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Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.
Please note that you’ll never restore your data without payment.
Check your e-mail “Spam” folder if you don’t get answer more than 6 hours.
To get this software you need write on our e-mail:
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Reserve e-mail address to contact us:
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Your personal ID:
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Promock is yet another ransomware. This virus sneaks into your system and corrupts your data. The news is bad. The virus spreads its roots around your entire OS. It alters settings, drops malicious files, modifies the registry, and starts dangerous processes. As soon as Promock gets your system under control, corruption ensues. This nasty ransomware targets the user-generated files. It is after your pictures, music, databases, documents, archives. The virus detects and encrypts your files with strong encryption algorithms. This parasite adds the “.promock” extension at the end of all corrupted files. Thus, if you have a file named “example.txt,” the virus will rename it to “example.txt.promck.” This, of course, happens without any noticeable symptoms. You cannot catch Promock in time to limit its corruption. The ransomware gets your data under lock and key. You can still see the icons of your files but you cannot view or edit them. The virus holds your files as hostages. It demands $490 to restore your data. And as if that’s not bad enough, but the nasty virus threatens to double the sum if you fail to start the paying procedure within 72 hours. Do not swing into action, though! Take a moment to consider the situation. You are dealing with cyber criminals. They promise decryption, but can you trust their word? Of course, you cannot! Practice shows that these criminals tend to double-cross their victims. Do not test your luck. You cannot win a game against criminals. Do what’s best for you and your system, remove the virus ASAP.

How did I get infected with?

Corrupted links, fake updates, torrents, spam emails, malicious software bundles. There are myriads of virus distribution strategies. Promock has numerous tricks. You can never know where it might strike from. All its schemes, however, are not flawless. They all rely on your carelessness. The virus cannot hack your device out of the blue. It needs you, the user, to click on the corrupted link, to download the fake update, to install the malicious bundle. Your caution can prevent the virus from succeeding. Even a little extra attention can spare you an avalanche of problems. Do not visit suspicious websites. Download software and updates from reliable sources only. And, of course, be very careful with your inbox. Treat all unexpected messages as potential threats. Do not interact with them. Always verify their senders. If, for example, you receive an unexpected email, from your bank, go to their official website. Compare the email addresses listed there to the questionable one. If they don’t match, delete the pretender immediately. You can also enter the suspicious addresses into a search engine. If they were used for questionable business, someone might have complained.

Why is Promock dangerous?

Promock is a complete and utter menace. This virus sneaks into your device and throws you into a whirlwind of problems. It corrupts your files and prevents you from creating new ones. Everything you save gets the “.promock” extension immediately. The virus makes your device useless. Well, you can still browse the web, but be careful. Do not use your compromised device for sensitive operations, such as online banking. The ransomware is an advanced virus. You cannot be sure what’s it capable of. Promock is a nightmare. Its lock is currently unbreakable. There are no third-party decryption tools for this ransomware. Paying the ransom, however, is not advisable. Before you make a decision, bear in mind that the hackers tend to ignore the victims once they receive the money. There are cases when the victims paid just to get blackmailed for more. There are also instances when the victims received nonfunctional software. You are dealing with experienced criminals. They know how to manipulate their victims. Do not sponsor their criminal activities. Consider discarding your files. If you have file backups, you can use them to recover your data. Just make sure that the virus is completely removed before you attempt any recovery operations.

Promock Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Kill the Malicious Process

STEP 2: Reveal Hidden Files

STEP 3: Locate Startup Location

STEP 4: Recover Promock 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 Promock 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 Promock 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.