RETCH Ransomware 🔐 (.RETCH File) — Removal Guide

The Retch virus belongs under the ransomware type of infection. Malware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, documents, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the HOW TO RECOVER YOUR FILES.txt text files in every folder which contains the 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 Retch virus?

Retch appends its specific .Retch extension to every file’s name. For instance, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.Retch”. Likewise, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.Retch”, and so on.

In every directory that contains the encrypted files, a HOW TO RECOVER YOUR FILES.txt text document will be created. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

Retch Overview:

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Retch looks like. Each filename has the “.Retch” extension added to it.

That is how encrypted “.Retch” files look.

How did my machine catch Retch ransomware?

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

Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for hackers to have the Retch virus planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

• If you access your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a malware item attached to them. So it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something different. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some program. However, what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful agent that encrypts your data. Since the installation file can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Retch virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Retch 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 Retch 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 “Retch” 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 Retch 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 tamperers would decrypt several of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Retch virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding instruments are frequently upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.

Sure thing, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting someone’s critical data, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of ransomware developers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud disk or at least on an external disk. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

Retch is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. For instance, Allahu, Taqw, Knight, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Retch are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become inaccessible, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate people were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decryption key to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware infiltration?

Retch ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can armour yourself from its infiltration within several easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the questionable email carefully. A hoax letter will always have mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from reliable software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your PC.

FAQ

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

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

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

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. 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.

🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Retch virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

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

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your system off the actual viruses. The ransomware that has infected your PC is must be still functional and launching checks from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been said above, the Retch ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your computer after some time.

🤔 What to do if the Retch 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 do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or imported into your PC. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encoded files might still be at your disposal

• If you exchanged your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, phone, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery utilities¹ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you can do it only after you kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

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