.Odin Ransomware Removal

We’ve created this guide to help you remove .Odin Ransomware from your machine. If the .Odin Ransomware is giving you trouble, then look no further!

The programs, which are based on malware called Ransomware, are known to be the most cunning and malicious ones ever created. In the following article we will be talking about exactly such a product – .Odin. This program represents a version of Ransomware that can encrypt all the files you use on a regular basis. Usually, after that a ransom is sought from you in order for you to be given back the files, which have been encoded. The .Odin Ransomware is not a new addition, but rather a re-branding of the very well known ransomware called Locky.

More general information about Ransomware

Ransomware is a kind of malicious software which originated in Russia around the end of the 20th century. In fact, there are more types of Ransomware than just the usual file-encrypting versions. However, the version of Ransomware that encodes data and makes it inaccessible and after that asks for your money in exchange for your files is the most commonly caught and the most disturbing one. Such programs as .Odin Ransomware enter your device, scan your drives for the addresses of the data you often use and then all that data becomes inaccessible to you. All you can see is a ransom-notifying message appearing on your screen and informing you about the contamination. Such an alert includes payment details and sometimes some more threats about the destiny of the locked up data – warnings about destruction mostly. This particular type of Ransomware is especially harmful because you can really do nothing to decrypt your files – neither paying the ransom, nor uninstalling the virus will help. Dealing with such a virus is risky and no matter what you do, the encrypted files will be in the danger of being lost forever.

More types of Ransomware

Apart from the most widely known file-encrypting kind, Ransomware could also be divided in the following subtypes:

• Mobile Ransomware – it usually attacks mobile devices, locks up their screens and again – demands ransom from their owners in order to make their phone screens accessible again.
• Screen-blocking Ransomware – it works exactly as the mobile type, however, its targets are computers, not phones. Such a virus will block your monitor with a full screen-size alert message, telling you that you need to pay ransom to access the other parts of your system. Such programs do not encrypt anything; they just block your access to your system.
• Criminal-fighting Ransomware – some government-authorized agencies can use programs based on Ransomware to deal with cyber criminals. For example, to make them pay for illegally pirating a kind of software, or other files such as movies and images.

How you may end up catching such a virus

Such viruses are so cruel partly because they might be lurking in many different places. For instance, a potential Ransomware source can be any torrent that you download. The file bundles you may be interested in are not completely safe, either. Also, such a product could be found as a component of contaminated websites and once you load one, it might come as a drive-by download. One of the biggest sources of Ransomware is spam emails and their attachments. In such a case it is possible that this virus may take with it another one – a Trojan-based virus. Everything inside an infected email could carry these two with it – a document, an image, an archive. Such malware might often be found in fake advertisements – malvertising is everywhere and as soon as such an infected ad is opened, you download the virus.

How you can fight such a contamination

In case you have already caught .Odin Ransomware, nothing can guarantee the bright future of your encrypted data. We do not recommend that you pay the hackers to set your data free. It is also a crime to help criminals. There are many other options – first try some of them. For instance, make an appointment with a specialist and discuss the possible solutions. You may either use a special Removal Guide to remove the infection yourself – below we have provided you with one. Such guides could really be useful. Another possibility is to find software that can successfully deal with Ransomware and its effects on your PC. No matter what you choose, remember to first remove the virus from your machine before attempting anything else, as failing to do so could result in further encryption of even more of your files.

.Odin Ransomware Removal

Step 1 – hunt for active virus processes

To do this, you will have to make use of your Task Manager. Use the R-Ctrl+Shift+Esc key combination in order to open it. Now, go to the Processes tab and sort the list by order of CPU and/or memory used. Now, look through the list – if any process is using up very high amounts of memory or has a suspicious name or description, then it might be a process ran by the Ransomware. End that process immediately and move on to the next step.

Now open your start menu and search for MSConfig. Go to the Startup section and see if there are any suspicious entries with unknown manufacturers. Disable anything that seems illegitimate. Keep in mind that the virus may duplicate the names of real programs!

Step 2 – prepare your PC for the removal process

Next thing you need to do is boot your machine into Safe Mode and reveal all hidden files and folders. Click on the links for detailed instructions.

Step 3 – find and delete virus-related files

1. Open your Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run window (Winkey+R) and pressing Enter, then open Edit->Find. Search for the virus name.
2. If there are any results, delete those registry entries.
3. Open your Start Menu and in the search field type each of the following and go to the corresponding location:
   1. %AppData%
   2. %LocalAppData%
   3. %ProgramData%
   4. %WinDir%
   5. %Temp%
4. Delete everything from Temp. In the other folders, see if there has been added anything recently that seems suspicious. If that is the case, delete the new entries.

Step 4 – look for Hosts file manipulation

1. Use the Win-key+R combination to open Run and hit enter after you copy-paste the following:

notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

2. A notepad file will open. If your PC has been infected, may be IP addresses at the bottom of the file. Delete them.

• Note that if those IP’s are either 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1, then they are not coming from a virus, thus this is no indication of an infection.

Step 5 – decrypt already encrypted files

For this, you will first have to identify the virus you are dealing with and then acquire the corresponding decryptor tool that can help you decrypt your files.

1. To identify the Ransomware, go to this link and follow the instructions.
2. Now that you know what you are dealing it, make a search for how to decrypt ransomware and look for a decryptor for your specific virus.