What Is Consciousness Ransomware
This article has been created in order to show you how you can remove the Consciousness Ransomware virus from your machine. The steps in it aim to assist you in your attempts to restore files, encrypted with the .Consciousness file extension.
Consciousness Ransomware is a cryptovirus whose main goal is to encrypt your files and hold them hostage until a ransom has been paid to them. This ransomware may ask to pay your ransom in BitCoin and for that, the criminals leave the ransom note of the virus, called Consciousness Ransomware Text Message.txt which contains the ransom instructions on how you can pay the sum. Read this article so that you can understand how you can remove Consciousness Ransomware from your computer and how you can try and get your files to work once again.

Threat Summary
Name | Consciousness |
Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
Short Description | The .consciousness files virus’s main goal is to hold your files hostage until a ransom has been paid. |
Symptoms | Files have the .Consciousness suffix and cannot be opened. The ransomware leaves behind a Consciousness Ransomware Text Message.txt ransom note. |
Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
Detection Tool |
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Consciousness. |
Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
Consciousness Ransomware – Description
The Consciousness ransomware is a nasty cyber-threat that may be activated in your computer after the crooks send an e-mail with the infection file. Such infection files are often pretending to be legitimate documents and files, like:
- Banking documents.
- Delivery documentation.
- Work-related documents.
- Invoices.
- Receipts.
If those e-mails that are sent to victims, the attached files are often archived in .ZIP or .RAR formats and many victims can get tricked thinking that this is a legitimate document and download and open it.
Another way to become infected is that you could download the masked file as a legitimate one from a software download site that may be compromised by the hackers, like a torrent site, for instance. There, the file may be the setup of a program you like and trust, but the setup may be corrupted to also slither the Consciousness ransomware on your computer.
After Consciousness ransomware has been added to your computer, it may begin to perform a series of activities, the outcome of which may be that you could start seeing the virus encrypting your files. The files which are encrypted by Consciousness ransomware may begin to appear like the following:
Besides simply encrypting your files, the ransomware may also perform other unwanted activities on your computer, such as:
- Obtain Administrator permissions.
- Obtain read and write permissions.
- Obtain your IP and MAC addresses.
- Transfer files and information to the criminals’ C&C servers.

How to Remove Consciousness Ransomware and Try to Restore Files
If you want to remove Consciousness Ransomware fully, we strongly recommend that you follow the removal instructions that are underneath this article. They have been created with the main goal to get you to pay ransom to the cybercriminals. Not only this, but also be advised that the main goal is to get this virus gone from your computer effectively. This is why we recommend that you follow the removal guide below as it contains the necessary steps that will help you delete the virus files of this infection. Also, many cybersecurity experts recommend that you download and run a scan with an advanced malware removal and protection software that will not only automatically get rid of the virus, but also make sure to protect your computer against future infections as well.
Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.
How to Remove Consciousness from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Consciousness





Step 2: Uninstall Consciousness and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:



Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Consciousness on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Consciousness there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:



Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Scan for Consciousness with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Consciousness.
Ransomware infections and Consciousness aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Get rid of Consciousness from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Consciousness and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Consciousness via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Consciousness.
Ransomware infections and Consciousness aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Consciousness FAQ
What is Consciousness ransomware and how does it work?
Consciousness is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithm how to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
How does Consciousness ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.Consciousness Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing e-mails, containing virus attachment.
This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
After you download and execute this attachment, a drive-by download occurs and your computer is infected with the ransomware virus.
Another way, you may become a victim of Consciousness is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to open .Consciousness files?
You can't. At this point the .Consciousness files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted.
Decryptor did not decrypt my data. What now?
Do not panic and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .Consciousness files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by Consciousness ransomware is to use a decryptor for it. But since it's a new virus, advised that the decryption keys for it may not be out yet and available to the public. We will update this article and keep you posted as soon as this decryptor is released.
How Do I restore ".Consciousness" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Consciousness files.
These methods are in no way 100% guarantee that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How do I get rid of Consciousness ransomware virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti malware software. It will scan for and locate Consciousness ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Consciousness files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like Consciousness ransomware also install Trojans and keyloggers that can steal your passwords and accounts. Scanning your computer with an anti-malware software will make sure that all of these virus components are removed and your computer is protected in the future.
What to Do If nothing works?
There is still a lot you can do. If none of the above methods seem to work for you, then try these methods:
- Try to find a safe computer from where you can can login on your own line accounts like One Drive, iDrive, Google Drive and so on.
- Try to contact your friends, relatives and other people so that they can check if they have some of your important photos or documents just in case you sent them.
- Also, check if some of the files that were encrypted it can be re-downloaded from the web.
- Another clever way to get back some of your files is to find another old computer, a flash drive or even a CD or a DVD where you may have saved your older documents. You might be surprised what will turn up.
- You can also go to your email account to check if you can send any attachments to other people. Usually what is sent the email is saved on your account and you can re-download it. But most importantly, make sure that this is done from a safe computer and make sure to remove the virus first.
More tips you can find on our forums, where you can also asks any questions about your ransomware problem.
How to Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer. Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
- Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
- United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
- United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
- France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
- Italy - Polizia Di Stato
- Spain - Policía Nacional
- Netherlands - Politie
- Poland - Policja
- Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
- Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
- India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
- Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.