Xorist-XWZ Ransomware Removal Guide

Xorist-XWZ Ransomware is a threat that will encrypt files on your computer in the blink of an eye if it ever slithers onto your computer. Luckily, the infection rate of this malicious application is still relatively small, meaning that it is not prevalent, but, of course, we cannot guarantee that this will not change in the near future, so you must be cautious all the time. If it is too late for prevention because Xorist-XWZ Ransomware has already locked your data, get rid of this nasty infection as soon as possible because it might lock more files on your system if it is ever launched accidentally again. We are not going to lie – you will not unlock those encrypted files by removing this nasty infection, but you will be sure that this threat cannot cause more problems to you. You are lucky – it is not one of those sophisticated malicious applications. That is, it has not created any new registry keys in the system registry, and, on top of that, you will not find any new files dropped by it except for the ransom note. It means that its removal will not be a very complicated task. Of course, like always, we recommend that you read this article till the very end before going to erase malware from the system.

Xorist-XWZ Ransomware is a new version of Xorist, so it is not surprising that it shares similarities with the original infection. As research conducted by specialists at 411-spyware.com has shown, it also encrypts files mercilessly once it infiltrates systems. To be more specific, it locks .avi, .net, .odt, .psd, .wmv, .xls, .mt3, .lnk, .vhd, .zip, .djvu, .aleta, .arena, .mp3, .mp4, .mpeg, .gzip, .html, and a bunch of other files. Unfortunately, this means that your important documents, images, and other video files will all be locked too. The ransom note READ ME FOR DECRYPT.txt dropped for users does not contain instructions that would help victims to unlock their files. Instead, users are told to write an email to BlackStarMafia@qq.com. Without a doubt, you will be asked to pay money in exchange for the decryption tool if you send an email to crooks. Sending Bitcoin to cyber criminals behind malicious software is the worst users can do. If you decide not to send a ransom, there might be no other way to unlock files; however, there are no guarantees that you will get the decryption tool if you send money to malicious software developers too, so consider all the pluses and minuses before making your final decision. If you decide not to purchase the decryptor, you could restore your files from a backup after you delete malware from your system.

Specialists working at 411-spyware.com say that traditional distribution methods should be used to spread Xorist-XWZ Ransomware. That is, they believe that this infection will be mainly spread via spam emails. Ransomware infections usually look like harmless email attachments, but, in reality, they infiltrate computers right away and lock files on users’ computers once they open them. It is a popular, but definitely not the only way how ransomware infections can travel. Security specialists also want to warn users that they can download these threats from legitimate-looking websites themselves. Last but not least, they might find out that their files have been encrypted after clicking on a malicious link because they might install malware on their PCs themselves by clicking on such a link once. It is not always easy to prevent malware from entering the system, but we are sure you will not discover any new threats on your computer if you keep security software installed on your system.

The sooner you delete Xorist-XWZ Ransomware, the better because it could not lock more files on your computer. As has been mentioned, this infection is not considered serious malware. Because of this, its removal will not be a difficult task. Speaking specifically, you will just need to perform two removal steps. First, delete READ ME FOR DECRYPT.txt and, second, erase all suspicious recently downloaded files. Check below-provided instructions if it is still not very clear what we expect you to do.

Delete Xorist-XWZ Ransomware manually

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Open %USERPROFILE%\Desktop and %USERPROFILE%\Downloads (enter the path in the Explorer’s URL bar).
3. Delete all suspicious files.
4. Remove READ ME FOR DECRYPT.txt.
5. Empty Trash.
6. Use a diagnostic scanner to check whether the ransomware infection was fully deleted.