The Lockedfilecr virus belongs under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Malware of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the LOCKEDFILECR.txt text files in each directory with the encrypted files.
What is Lockedfilecr virus?
☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the Lockedfilecr is “a ransomware-type infection”.
Lockedfilecr adds its specific .LOCKEDFILECR extension to the name of every encrypted file. For example, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.LOCKEDFILECR”. Just like the Excel table named “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.LOCKEDFILECR”, and so forth.
In each folder with the encoded files, a LOCKEDFILECR.txt text file will be created. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is how they do it.
Lockedfilecr overview:
| Name | Lockedfilecr Virus |
| Extension | .LOCKEDFILECR |
| Ransomware note | LOCKEDFILECR.txt |
| Detection | Upatre.Trojan.Downloader.DDS, Ransom:Win32/StopCrypt.RPL!MTB, MSIL/Filecoder.IV |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .LOCKEDFILECR extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Lockedfilecr virus |
In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Lockedfilecr looks like. Each filename has the “.LOCKEDFILECR” extension added to it.
That is how encrypted “.LOCKEDFILECR” files look.
How did Lockedfilecr ransomware end up on my PC?
There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for malefactors to have ransomware settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you access your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a ransomware item attached to them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file scheme1. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC disguised as something legal. For instance, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some program. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encrypts your data. Since the update package can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.
How to remove the Lockedfilecr virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Lockedfilecr virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Often racketeers would unblock some of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. Since Lockedfilecr virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Understandably, if the malefactors succeed in encoding victim’s critical files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of criminals simply disappearing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The best 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 disk. Obviously, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the OS restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Lockedfilecr, that work similarly. For instance, Mmvb, Eewt, Mmdt, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Lockedfilecr are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each folder containing encoded files.
Some lucky people were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware attack?
Lockedfilecr ransomware has no superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can protect your computer from ransomware infiltration within three easy steps:
- Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A hoax email will surely have a mistake.
- Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked software, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such software.
- And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your system.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Lockedfilecr infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has finished, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 How can I open “.LOCKEDFILECR” files?Is it possible to open“.LOCKEDFILECR” files?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.LOCKEDFILECR” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
If the “.LOCKEDFILECR” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. All other solutions require time.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Lockedfilecr virus?
No way! The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will remove actual threats from your computer. The virus that has infiltrated your device is most likely still functional and running scans every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has already been said, the Lockedfilecr virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Lockedfilecr malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your computer. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach
- If you exchanged 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 relatives. Simply ask them to post those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, cellphone, flash memory, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery utilities4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove LOCKEDFILECR Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: LOCKEDFILECR Virus
Description: LOCKEDFILECR Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .LOCKEDFILECR extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
