How to remove Gooolag Ransomware and decrypt .crptd files

What is Gooolag Ransomware

Gooolag is a ransomware infection that makes all stored data cut off from regular access to demand paying recovery ransom. It is more likely to see high-revenue companies infected with this ransomware version. Cybercriminals use the .crptd extension to each encrypted file. For instance, a data piece like 1.xls will change to 1.xls.crptd and reset its original icon. Following this stage of encryption, victims are met with decryption instructions presented inside of a text note called How To Restore Your Files.txt:

The note unveils a world of agonizing information regarding the data. At first, cybercriminals state 600 Gigabytes of important data have been uploaded to anonymous servers. Then, victims are getting punched with some intimidation calls – DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks on entire domains and company contacts. To prevent it from happening and losing the whole data, victims are obliged to contact extortionists using e-mail communication (Gooolag46@protonmail.com or guandong@mailfence.com). Should developers suspect something related to police or cyber authorities, the recovery process will be affected. It is also advised against involving recovery crew to avoid paying the ransom. Gooolag data is less likely to be decrypted without cybercriminals themselves unless there are backup copies available. In this case, however, most companies may be worried about having their data publicly shared more than losing it all. Whatever the case, it is dangerous to let Gooolag run on the network. Note that deleting Gooolag Ransomware beforehand is likely to negate the recovery process with cybercriminals. This is why the decision on whether to deal with ransomware developers or not lies solely on your shoulders. Nobody can guarantee third-party decryption of Gooolag ciphers at this point time. The only, yet important action to do is remove Gooolag Ransomware from your computer. Instructions on how to do it correctly can be found in our tutorial below.

How Gooolag Ransomware infected your computer

The number of distribution methods used by cybercriminals to deliver ransomware-like infections is abundant enough. The most popular are considered to be trojans, fake software updaters, P2P (peer-to-peer) networks (eMule, torrents, etc.), fake download sources (free file hosting websites), and spam emails bundled with malicious attachments. Trojans are used to open the gates for other malware infections. They are disguised as genuine software updates or program installers, which end up being a ruse. P2P networks and other shady download sources present malware as legitimate software and deceive users into downloading it. E-mail spam usually incorporates infectious attachments of various formats (e.g. PDF, Word documents, EXE, or JavaScript files). If you dare click on one of these files, you are likely to open the door for ransomware into your system. This is why attentiveness and self-awareness should be prioritized to avoid catching infections whilst surfing the web. Below, you will find a list of essential advice on how to protect your system against such threats in the future.

1. Download Gooolag Ransomware Removal Tool
2. Get decryption tool for .crptd files
3. Recover encrypted files with Stellar Data Recovery Professional
4. Restore encrypted files with Windows Previous Versions
5. Restore files with Shadow Explorer
6. How to protect from threats like Gooolag Ransomware

Gooolag Ransomware files:


How To Restore Your Files.txt
{randomname}.exe


Gooolag Ransomware registry keys:

no information

How to decrypt and restore .crptd files

Use automated decryptors

Download Kaspersky RakhniDecryptor

Use following tool from Kaspersky called Rakhni Decryptor, that can decrypt .crptd files. Download it here:

Download RakhniDecryptor

There is no purpose to pay the ransom because there is no guarantee you will receive the key, but you will put your bank credentials at risk.

Dr.Web Rescue Pack

Famous antivirus vendor Dr. Web provides free decryption service for the owners of its products: Dr.Web Security Space or Dr.Web Enterprise Security Suite. Other users can ask for help in the decryption of .crptd files by uploading samples to Dr. Web Ransomware Decryption Service. Analyzing of files will be performed free of charge and if files are decryptable, all you need to do is purchase a 2-year license of Dr.Web Security Space worth $120 or less. Otherwise, you don’t have to pay.

If you are infected with Gooolag Ransomware and removed it from your computer you can try to decrypt your files. Antivirus vendors and individuals create free decryptors for some crypto-lockers. To attempt to decrypt them manually you can do the following:

Use Stellar Data Recovery Professional to restore .crptd files

1. Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
2. Click Recover Data button.
3. Select type of files you want to restore and click Next button.
4. Choose location where you would like to restore files from and click Scan button.
5. Preview found files, choose ones you will restore and click Recover.

Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional

Using Windows Previous Versions option:

1. Right-click on infected file and choose Properties.
2. Select Previous Versions tab.
3. Choose particular version of the file and click Copy.
4. To restore the selected file and replace the existing one, click on the Restore button.
5. In case there is no items in the list choose alternative method.

Using Shadow Explorer:

1. Download Shadow Explorer program.
2. Run it and you will see screen listing of all the drives and the dates that shadow copy was created.
3. Select the drive and date that you want to restore from.
4. Right-click on a folder name and select Export.
5. In case there are no other dates in the list, choose alternative method.

If you are using Dropbox:

1. Login to the DropBox website and go to the folder that contains encrypted files.
2. Right-click on the encrypted file and select Previous Versions.
3. Select the version of the file you wish to restore and click on the Restore button.

How to protect computer from viruses, like Gooolag Ransomware, in future

1. Get special anti-ransomware software

Use ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

Famous antivirus brand ZoneAlarm by Check Point released a comprehensive tool, that will help you with active anti-ransomware protection, as an additional shield to your current protection. The tool provides Zero-Day protection against ransomware and allows you to recover files. ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware is compatible with all other antiviruses, firewalls, and security software except ZoneAlarm Extreme (already shipped with ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware) or Check Point Endpoint products. The killer features of this application are: automatic file recovery, overwrite protection that instantly and automatically recovers any encrypted files, file protection that detects and blocks even unknown encryptors.

Download ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

2. Back up your files

As an additional way to save your files, we recommend online backup. Local storage, such as hard drives, SSDs, flash drives, or remote network storage can be instantly infected by the virus once plugged in or connected to. Gooolag Ransomware uses some techniques to exploit this. One of the best services and programs for easy automatic online backup is iDrive. It has the most profitable terms and a simple interface. You can read more about iDrive cloud backup and storage here.

3. Do not open spam e-mails and protect your mailbox

Malicious attachments to spam or phishing e-mails are the most popular method of ransomware distribution. Using spam filters and creating anti-spam rules is good practice. One of the world leaders in anti-spam protection is MailWasher Pro. It works with various desktop applications and provides a very high level of anti-spam protection.

Download MailWasher Pro