Cryptre Ransomware

Cryptre Ransomware might not look like much, but it is still a ransomware infection. It means that it can encrypt your files and virtually leave part of your system crippled, as it demands for the ransom fee to be paid.

No matter how daunting this situation might seem, you should never pay the ransom fee because that would only encourage the criminals to create more programs like this one. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this description and follow the manual removal instructions to get rid of Cryptre Ransomware for good.

Cryptre Ransomware is not a stand-alone infection. This program is based on the CryptoWire Ransomware infection. We often see programs that come from the same source, only with different modifications. Back in the days, it was possible to apply the same removal methods to all members of the same malware family, but it is often not the case with ransomware infections because they tend to have unique decryption keys. Therefore, you might want to look for a public decryption key intended for Cryptre Ransomware if you want to restore your files. Considering that the program was released quite a while ago, it should be possible to find it.

However, even if restoring your files should be one of your top priorities, you should also make it a point to protect yourself from similar infections in the future. For that, you need to know how ransomware infections spread around. Although it is often impossible to pinpoint the exact distribution network, there are main distribution patterns that we should all be aware of. The most common way for ransomware to reach target computers is through spam email attachments. Although most of the spam email messages get filtered into the Junk folder, there are still those that reach the main inbox, too.

So, what does happen then? Let’s imagine that a phishing email that carries ransomware lands in your inbox. It usually looks like an average email, and it might not differ much from online shopping invoices, financial reports, and sometimes even personal emails that you receive. What’s more, the ransomware installer attached to the email will look like a legitimate file that you need to check. It is also possible for the email to come with an urgent message, pushing the unsuspecting user into interacting with the dangerous content. If the user is tricked into opening that attachment, Cryptre Ransomware and other similar infections slither into their systems.

Perhaps, we do not even have to say what happens when a ransomware program is installed on a target system. First and foremost, a ransomware program like Cryptre Ransomware launches a file encryption. It usually scans the target system looking for all the file types it can encrypt, and once the encryption is complete, all the affected files will have additional extension. For example, a dog.jpg filename would look like dog.encrypted.jpg. With this additional extension, it is easy to see which files were affected by the encryption, but it would be easy either way because the system would no longer be able to read them.

Like most of the other ransomware infections, after the encryption, Cryptre Ransomware opens a ransom note. It is displayed in a new window with the following text:

The only way you can recover your files is to buy a decryption key
The payment method is: Bitcoins. The price is: $200 = 0.06058397 Bitcoins

Click on the ‘Buy decryption key’ button.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about this ransom note, and it is clear that Cryptre Ransomware works just like any other ransomware program. So, you should remove it from your system, just like any other pest.

Manual Cryptre Ransomware isn’t that complicated, but if you do not feel confident about it, you can always employ a powerful antispyware tool to terminate the infection for you. You should also refrain from paying the ransom fee because that is no guarantee the criminals would unlock your files. In fact, if you have a file backup, you can just delete the encrypted ones, and transfer the healthy files from your external hard drive or a cloud drive back into your computer. Do not let these criminals win.

How to Remove Cryptre Ransomware

1. Press Win+R and type %Program Files (x86)%. Click OK.
2. Go to the Common Files folder and delete the following files:
   ransomware.exe
   log.txt
   3804415203
   30251440844025144083
3. Scan your system with SpyHunter.