BitStak Ransomware Removal Guide

You may already know that ransomware infections, such as BitStak Ransomware, are probably one of the most devastating and dangerous threats that can hit an operating system. This comes from the fact that these programs can encrypt your personal files, including videos, images, documents, and program files and you may never be able to recover them again if you are unlucky or do not have a backup saved on a removable drive. But sometimes you may get lucky. And, this may be your lucky day if you have been hit by this nightmare. Although the criminals behind this attack demand a fairly low amount for the decryption of your files, as a matter of fact, you can actually find a working file recovery tool for this ransomware on the web. Yes, this means that you do not even have to pay and support these crooks, and you may be able to restore your encrypted files. But before you rush to download and run the decryptor, we suggest that you remove BitStak Ransomware right away.

Our research indicates that this malware infection mostly infiltrates operating systems through spam e-mails. These deceiving mails contain an attachment that is indeed a disguised executable file. This malicious file can show up as a photo or a document, such as a .docx or .pdf file with macro capability. Unfortunately, such spam mails do not have obvious subjects like “This is a dangerous spam; do not click on me!” On the contrary, these mails are rather tricky and misleading. Obviously, the main goal of a ransomware is to fool users by pretending to be something very catchy and kind of “must-see.” This is why most often you will find fake invoices, plane ticket errors, hotel reservation issues, and the like as the subject and content of such mails. Even if you cannot seem to relate to the given subject, it is quite likely that you will be curious enough to want to see what is in the mail and the attachment.

The biggest mistake you can make is to open the downloaded file. Although it may look like an image or document, it is indeed a malicious executable file that activates BitStak Ransomware. If this file is a text file, you will see unreadable characters upon opening. A text will ask you to enable macros if you want to be able to read the content of the document. However, once you enable macros, the malicious code starts up, which downloads and initiates the “real deal.” You may also be shown a fake invoice or other data in this document but it is only there to keep you busy while the infection is doing its vicious job. Even if you cannot stop the encryption itself in time, it is very important that you delete BitStak Ransomware as soon as you notice it on your computer.

This ransomware targets certain system directories (C:/Program Files/, C:/Program Files (x86)/, C:/Users/UserName/AppData/Roaming/, C:/Users/UserName/Documents/, C:/Users/UserName/Downloads/, and so on) and encrypts every file with the following extensions: .txt, .doc, .exe, .dat, .bat, .vb, .zip, .7z, .rar, .jar, .mp3, .wav, .save, .mp4, .cfg, .flv, .php, .com, .db, .bin, and .reg. Once a file gets encrypted, its name changes to random letters (mostly 11 characters) and its extension becomes “.bitstak” as in “MrTdkyEd.jFg.bitstak.” When all the targeted files are done, BitStak Ransomware replaces your desktop background with its own image that is indeed its ransomware note. This note stays always on top of all active windows; therefore, you are locked out of the normal use of your computer. The only process that can be accessed is the Task Manager, which will come in handy when it comes to removing BitStak Ransomware. These criminals demand a 40 EUR (44.5 USD) fee for the decryption of your files, which you are supposed to pay in Bitcoins to the provided Bitcoin address. Once they get your transfer, you can activate the decryptor; well, theoretically. The truth is that it is quite rare that crooks actually send the private key or decrypt the files through their software. It is most likely that they simply take your money and you will never hear about them ever again.

Usually we only advise our readers not to pay the ransom fee and emphasize that it is their decision to make. In this case, though, we can categorically say that you should not pay at all since you can find an efficient tool on the net to restore your files. However, we do not recommend that you try finding it and downloading it, let alone using it all alone if you are an inexperienced user. It would be best to find a friend who is a techie or a professional to help you with the decryption of your files. It is important that you do not rush to do so because first, you need to remove BitStak Ransomware.

So here we are with the solution. Let us tell you now what you can do to eliminate this ugly threat. First, you need to open the Task Manager so that you can identify the malicious executable and kill the main process. Then, you can delete all the necessary files and folders. We have prepared a step-by-step guide for you below this article. Since we believe that the protection of your virtual world should be your priority if you never want to end up in these shoes again, we suggest that you consider investing in a professional anti-malware application, such as SpyHunter, or any other reliable security tool you can find on the web.

How to remove BitStak Ransomware from Windows

1. Tap Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Click on the Start-up tab.
3. Locate the item called BitStak and right-click on it.
4. Choose Properties from the menu.
5. Check the Location field for the path and the (random) name of the ransomware executable.
6. Click OK to return to the Start-up list and press Disable.
7. Click on the Processes tab.
8. Locate the malicious process (random name retrieved from the Location field) and press End task.
9. Exit the Task Manager.
10. Tap Win+E.
11. Locate the downloaded malicious executable file and bin it.
12. Locate the folder in the path you found in the Start-up tab Location field and bin it.
13. Empty your Recycle Bin and restart your computer.