ZEROCOOL Ransomware 🔐 (.ZEROCOOL File) — Removal Guide

The Zerocool virus falls within the ransomware type of malicious agent. A harmful program of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the ZeroCool_Help.txt text files in each folder containing encrypted files.

What is Zerocool virus?

Zerocool appends its specific .ZeroCool extension to every file’s title. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.ZeroCool”. In the same manner, the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.ZeroCool”, and so forth.

In each folder with the encoded files, a ZeroCool_Help.txt file will appear. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is pretty much the scheme of the malefaction.

Zerocool Summary:

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

How did my machine catch Zerocool ransomware?

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

Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for criminals to have ransomware acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file model. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine disguised as something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some program. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encrypts your data. As the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ 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 Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Zerocool virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

How to avoid ransomware infection?

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

You can armour your system from its attack taking three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious letter carefully. A fake letter will always have a mistake.
• Never use cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such software.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.ZeroCool” files ASAP. How can I do that?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. The rest of the methods require patience.

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

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the encrypted data can be located elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, cellphone, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery utilities¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you can do it only after you remove the virus with an antivirus program.

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