DOCTORHELP Ransomware 🔐 (.DOCTORHELP File) — Removal Guide

The Doctorhelp virus falls under the ransomware type of infection. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the How_to_back_files.html text files in every folder containing encrypted files.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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What is known about the Doctorhelp virus?

Doctorhelp adds its specific .doctorhelp extension to the title of every encrypted file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.doctorhelp”. In the same manner, the Excel table with the name “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.doctorhelp”, and so forth.

In each directory containing the encrypted files, a How_to_back_files.html text file will be created. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting [email protected] by email. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

Doctorhelp Overview:

The How_to_back_files.html file accompanying the Doctorhelp malware provides the following discouraging information:

YOUR PERSONAL ID:
-
/!\\ YOUR COMPANY NETWORK HAS BEEN PENETRATED /!\\
All your important files have been encrypted!

Your files are safe! Only modified. (RSA+AES)

ANY ATTEMPT TO RESTORE YOUR FILES WITH THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE
WILL PERMANENTLY CORRUPT IT.
DO NOT MODIFY ENCRYPTED FILES.
DO NOT RENAME ENCRYPTED FILES.

No software available on internet can help you. We are the only ones able to
solve your problem.

We gathered highly confidential/personal data. These data are currently stored on
a private server. This server will be immediately destroyed after your payment.
If you decide to not pay, we will release your data to public or re-seller.
So you can expect your data to be publicly available in the near future..

We only seek money and our goal is not to damage your reputation or prevent
your business from running.

You will can send us 2-3 non-important files and we will decrypt it for free
to prove we are able to give your files back.

Contact us for price and get decryption software.

email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
* To contact us, create a new free email account on the site: protonmail.com
IF YOU DON\'T CONTACT US WITHIN 72 HOURS, PRICE WILL BE HIGHER.

* Tor-chat to always be in touch:

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Doctorhelp looks like. Each filename has the “.doctorhelp” extension appended to it.

An example of encrypted .doctorhelp files.

How did my machine catch Doctorhelp ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for criminals to have ransomware settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you access your mailbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a ransomware file attached to them. Thus it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine disguised as something legal. For instance, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that encodes your data. As the update file can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Doctorhelp virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your PC to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Remove Doctorhelp with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Doctorhelp as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “Doctorhelp” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing Doctorhelp and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Sometimes racketeers would unblock some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption tool. Since Doctorhelp virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encrypting victim’s essential files, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of ransomware developers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external storage. Obviously, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Doctorhelp, that work similarly. Examples of those are Redprotection, Leakdb, Jazi, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Doctorhelp are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become inaccessible, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in every folder containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate people were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware infiltration?

Doctorhelp ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can armour your system from ransomware attack in three easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailboxes with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A fake letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Never use cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often shared as an element of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
• And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect shield for your personal computer.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.doctorhelp” files?Is it possible to open“.doctorhelp” files?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.doctorhelp” files are decrypted.

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Doctorhelp virus?

No way! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active viruses. The malware that has infiltrated your system is probably still active and it scans your system every so often to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been said above, the Doctorhelp malware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your system after some time.

🤔 What to do if the Doctorhelp virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to have a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your PC. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the blocked files can be found elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to give those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, cellphone, memory stick, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery utilities¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.