Start Ransomware Removal Guide

The malicious Start Ransomware might start a new chapter in your life. In this chapter, you will take better care of your personal files and, of course, the security of your operating system. Unfortunately, if this threat got in, it is most likely that you have no one to blame but yourself for it. Ransomware cannot appear out of thin air, and, in most cases, victims themselves are involved in the execution of malware. For example, you could have let this threat in by opening a spam email attachment or downloading a new program. Do you remember doing that? Perhaps you skipped an update that left your system vulnerable, and cybercriminals were able to exploit a remote access backdoor to drop the threat. Whatever the case might be, once you delete Start Ransomware from your operating system, you need to rethink your virtual security. Hopefully, you will remove this malware without losing your personal files, but that is not a given.

Start Ransomware has multiple clones – including Asus Ransomware, Wiki Ransomware, Uta Ransomware, and others – that belong to the Crysis/Dharma Ransomware group. These infections always invade vulnerable operating systems and encrypt files found on them. They do not corrupt system files, but they can successfully encrypt photos, documents, and other sensitive files. If users have copies of these files saved in external or online backups, they have replacements. If replacements do not exist, the victims of Start Ransomware are stuck in a corner. It is not possible to restore the corrupted files with the “.id-{unique id}.[starter@cumallover.me].start” extension appended to them manually, and free decryptors that could help did not exist at the time of research either. Unfortunately, that puts the attackers in a more favorable position because they can make crazy demands. As you might have figured out by now, the attackers want money, but, first, you are supposed to contact them using your own email account.

Whether you open the “FILES ENCRYPTED.txt” file or you face the “starter@cumallover.me” window launched on your screen first, you are instructed to email starter@cumallover.me or pandao@keemail.me to get your files back. The .txt file does not explain the situation in detail, but the message that is delivered using the window informs that you are supposed to pay a ransom in Bitcoins if you want to obtain a Start Ransomware decryption tool. You are given 24 hours, and you also can have one file decrypted for free. Without a doubt, this is done to reassure victims that their files can be fully restored. Unfortunately, we are not so sure about that. First of all, if you contact the attackers, they might expose you to new scams. Second, if you pay the ransom, you are unlikely to get a decryptor in return. Sure, the attackers promise to give you the tool, but how trustworthy are the promises of cybercriminals? Not trustworthy at all, and that is why you need to be very careful when deciding whether or not to follow their demands. We do not recommend following them, but, at the end of the day, you have to do what feels right for you.

If you can find and remove Start Ransomware launcher, removing the remaining components should not be difficult, and we have created a guide that should make the process easier. Unfortunately, the location of the launcher is unknown, and so we cannot help you detect it. At the end of the day, the elimination of the infection is not the only thing that you need to take care of. It might be most important to secure your operating system, and you can install legitimate anti-malware software to have your operating system protected and also cleared from malware. Even if you delete Start Ransomware manually, you will need to figure out a way to secure your system, and so we suggest that you install anti-malware software now to have all problems resolved at once. Of course, this software will not restore the corrupted files. We hope that you have copies of your files stored someplace safe so that you could replace the encrypted files.

How to delete Start Ransomware

1. Right-click and Delete the ransom note file named FILES ENCRYPTED.txt.
2. If you can find the launcher file, right-click and Delete it.
3. Tap Win+E keys to access Explorer and use the field at the top to access these locations:
   • %APPDATA%
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
   • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
   • %WINDIR%\System32\
4. Right-click and Delete the Info.hta file and also {unknown name}.exe file.
5. Tap Win+R keys to launch RUN and enter regedit into the box to access Registry Editor.
6. Navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
7. Right-click and Delete three values linked to the files in step 4.
8. Close Explorer and Registry Editor and then Empty Recycle Bin.
9. Install a legitimate malware scanner and perform a full system scan. If leftovers exist, remove them.