Remove Alka Ransomware

What is ransomware

Alka Ransomware is a highly serious infection, more often known as ransomware or file-encrypting malicious program. If you have never heard of this type of malicious software until now, you are in for a shock. Powerful encryption algorithms are used to encrypt your files, and if yours are indeed locked, you will not be able to access them any longer. Ransomware is considered to be one of the most harmful infections you might encounter because file restoration isn’t possible in every case. You do have the option of paying the ransom but for reasons we will mention below, that isn’t the best choice. Giving into the requests won’t necessarily guarantee that your data will be restored, so expect that you might just be wasting your money. What’s preventing criminals from just taking your money, without giving you a decryption utility.

In addition, the money you provide would go towards financing more future file encrypting malicious software and malware. Would you really want to support something that does billions of dollars in damage. And the more people give into the demands, the more of a profitable business ransomware becomes, and that attracts increasingly more people to the industry. Consider buying backup with that money instead because you might be put in a situation where you face file loss again. You could then restore files from backup after you remove Alka Ransomware or similar infections. If you have not encountered ransomware before, it’s also possible you do not know how it managed to get into your computer, in which case carefully read the following paragraph.

How did you acquire the ransomware

A data encoding malicious program is commonly distribution via spam email attachments, harmful downloads and exploit kits. Seeing as these methods are still rather popular, that means that users are pretty careless when they use email and download files. That is not to say more sophisticated methods aren’t used at all, however. All criminals have to do is pretend to be from a trustworthy company, write a convincing email, attach the infected file to the email and send it to possible victims. Money related issues are a frequent topic in those emails as users tend to engage with those emails. Crooks also like to pretend to be from Amazon, and tell potential victims about some unusual activity noticed in their account, which would immediately encourage a person to open the attachment. There a couple of things you should take into account when opening files added to emails if you wish to keep your device secure. Check if you know the sender before opening the attachment they’ve sent, and if they are not known to you, look into them carefully. Even if you know the sender, don’t rush, first investigate the email address to ensure it’s real. Also, be on the look out for grammatical errors, which can be rather glaring. You should also check how the sender addresses you, if it’s a sender who knows your name, they’ll always greet you by your name, instead of a universal Customer or Member. Vulnerabilities on your device Out-of-date software may also be used to infect. Those weak spots in programs are commonly patched quickly after they are found so that malware cannot use them. Still, as widespread ransomware attacks have shown, not everyone installs those updates. Because many malware makes use of those vulnerabilities it is critical that you update your software regularly. Patches can install automatically, if you find those alerts annoying.

How does it behave

Your data will be encoded as soon as the file encrypting malware gets into your system. In the beginning, it might be confusing as to what’s going on, but when your files can’t be opened as usual, you will at least know something is not right. You’ll realize that all affected files have strange extensions added to them, and that helps users recognize what kind of ransomware it is. In a lot of cases, data restoring might not be possible because the encryption algorithms used in encryption could be undecryptable. In case you’re still uncertain about what is going on, everything will be explained in the ransom notification. You’ll be proposed a decryption tool in exchange for a certain amount of money. A clear price should be shown in the note but if it’s not, you would have to contact cyber criminals via their given email address to find out how much you would have to pay. For the reasons we have discussed above, we do not encourage paying the ransom. Only think about giving into the demands when you have attempted all other options. Maybe you have just forgotten that you’ve backed up your files. Or, if luck is on your side, some malware specialist may have developed a free decryption utility. Security specialists can occasionally develop decryption tools for free, if the ransomware is crackable. Take that option into account and only when you are sure there’s no free decryptor, should you even consider complying with the demands. Using the requested money for a trustworthy backup may be a better idea. And if backup is available, file recovery ought to be carried out after you erase Alka Ransomware virus, if it still remains on your system. Now that you realize how dangerous this kind of infection can be, do your best to avoid it. Make sure your software is updated whenever an update becomes available, you don’t open random files attached to emails, and you only download things from sources you know to be legitimate.

Alka Ransomware removal

If the ransomware is still in the device, an anti-malware program should be used to get rid of it. If you have little knowledge when it comes to computers, accidental harm can be caused to your system when trying to fix Alka Ransomware by hand. If you choose to use an anti-malware utility, it would be a much better choice. This program is beneficial to have on the system because it will not only ensure to get rid of this threat but also put a stop to similar ones who try to get in. Find which malware removal utility is most suitable for you, install it and scan your device to locate the threat. Do not expect the malware removal software to help you in file restoring, because it’s not capable of doing that. When your system is free from the infection, begin regularly backing up your data.

Learn how to remove Remove Alka Ransomware from your computer

• Step 1. Delete ransomware via anti-malware
• Step 2. Delete Remove Alka Ransomware using System Restore
• Step 3. Recover your data

Step 1. Delete ransomware via anti-malware

• a) Windows 7/Windows Vista/Windows XP
• b) Windows 8/Windows 10

a) Windows 7/Windows Vista/Windows XP

1. Start menu -> Shut down -> Restart.
2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options loads.
3. Select Safe Mode with Networking and press Enter.
4. When your computer boots, download anti-malware software via your browser.
5. Launch the program, scan your computer and delete the infection.

b) Windows 8/Windows 10

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and click on the power icon.
2. Select Restart while holding the Shift key.
3. Choose Troubleshoot and then Advanced options.
4. In Advanced options, choose Startup Settings and select Enable Safe mode with Networking (or just Safe Mode).
5. Press Restart.

Step 2. Delete Remove Alka Ransomware using System Restore

• a) Windows 7/Windows Vista/Windows XP
• b) Windows 8/Windows 10

a) Windows 7/Windows Vista/Windows XP

1. Start menu -> Shut down -> Restart.
2. Press and keep pressing F8 until Advanced Boot Options load.
3. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and press Enter.
4. In Command Prompt, type in cd restore and press Enter.
5. Then type in rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
6. A new window will appear where you will have to choose a restore point. Choose one dating back prior to infection and press Next, and then Finish.

b) Windows 8/Windows 10

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and click on the power icon.
2. Select Restart while holding the Shift key.
3. Select Troubleshoot and then Advanced options.
4. In Advanced options, choose Startup Settings and select Enable Safe mode with Command Prompt.
5. In the Command Prompt window that appears, type in cd restore and press Enter.
6. Then type in rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
7. In the window that appears, you will have to select a restore point dating back prior to infection. Select one and press Next, then Finish.

Step 3. Recover your data

• a) Method 1. Data Recovery Pro
• b) Method 2. Windows Previous Versions
• c) Method 3. Shadow Explorer

When your files are encrypted by ransomware, you may be able to recover them. Below, you will find methods that could help you with file decryption. However, bear in mind that file decryption is not guaranteed. These methods are not always reliable, thus the best way to recover files would be via backup. And if you don't already have it, we suggest you invest in it.

a) Method 1. Data Recovery Pro

1. Download the Data Recovery Pro program.
2. Install and run the program.
3. Press Start Scan to see if data can be recovered.
4. If it finds recoverable files, you can restore them.

b) Method 2. Windows Previous Versions

If you had System Restore enabled prior to infection, your files should be recoverable through Windows Previous Versions.

1. Find a file you want to recover and right-click on it.
2. Properties -> Previous Versions.
3. Choose a version from the list and press Restore.

c) Method 3. Shadow Explorer

Some ransomware does not delete automatically created copies of your files, which are known as Shadow Copies. If they were not deleted, you should be able to recover them via Shadow Explorer.

1. Download Shadow Explorer from a reliable source.
2. Install and run the program.
3. Choose a disk that contains encrypted files and if it contains folders with recoverable files, press Export.