LQEPJHGJCZO Virus 🔐 (.LQEPJHGJCZO Files) — How to Remove?

The Lqepjhgjczo virus falls under the Snatch ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all the data on your PC (photos, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the HOW TO RESTORE YOUR LQEPJHGJCZO FILES.TXT text files in every directory 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 Lqepjhgjczo virus?

☝️ Lqepjhgjczo is a Snatch family ransomware virus.

Lqepjhgjczo adds its own .lqepjhgjczo extension to the name of every encoded file. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.lqepjhgjczo”. Just like the Excel file with the name “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.lqepjhgjczo”, and so forth.

In each directory containing the encrypted files, a HOW TO RESTORE YOUR LQEPJHGJCZO FILES.TXT text file will be found. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. That is how they do it.

Lqepjhgjczo Overview:

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

An example of encrypted .lqepjhgjczo files.

How did my computer get infected with Lqepjhgjczo ransomware?

There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited ways for evil-doers to have ransomware planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you open your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malware item attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your computer disguised as something legal. For example, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some program. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that compromises your data. Since the installation file can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Lqepjhgjczo virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Lqepjhgjczo 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 Lqepjhgjczo 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 “Lqepjhgjczo” 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 Lqepjhgjczo 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 criminals would decode several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. Since Lqepjhgjczo virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decryption tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the malefactors succeed in encoding victim’s critical files, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about criminals just vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The optimal solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the OS restoration.

Lqepjhgjczo is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are 3am, Oopl, Ooza, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Lqepjhgjczo are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in every directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding key to the victims in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avert ransomware infiltration?

Lqepjhgjczo ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.

You can armour your computer from ransomware injection taking three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A fake email will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal way is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your PC.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.lqepjhgjczo” files?Are the “.lqepjhgjczo” files accessible?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.lqepjhgjczo” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Lqepjhgjczo malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

Absolutely not! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with real viruses. The ransomware that has attacked your PC is most likely still active and it scans your system periodically to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Lqepjhgjczo ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your computer after some time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Lqepjhgjczo malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

If that happened, you need to have a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or imported into your machine. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Many of the encrypted files might still be within your reach

• 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 relatives. Simply ask them to post those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, phone, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can use data recovery programs² to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you can do it only after you remove the virus with an anti-malware program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.