This article will aid you to remove Potato ransomware completely. Follow the ransomware removal instructions given at the end of this article.

Potato is how a ransomware virus is named, including the extension it uses for encrypted files – namely, .potato. Your files will become encrypted and afterward you will see the ransom message on your screen which contains instructions for payment and points to files for further instructions. Read below to check in what ways you could try to restore some of your data.

Threat Summary

Name	Potato Ransomware
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts files on your computer and displays a ransom message after that.
Symptoms	The ransomware will encrypt your files and put the .potato extension on each of those files when encryption completes.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Potato Ransomware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Potato Ransomware.
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.

Potato Ransomware – Distribution Tactics

Potato ransomware could be distributed via different tactics. The payload file that initiates the malicious script for the ransomware that infects your personal computer thrives in the wild.

Potato ransomware might also be distributing that payload file on social media sites and file-sharing networks. Freeware programs found on the Web might be promoted as useful but also could be hiding the malicious script for the cryptovirus. Don’t open files right after you have downloaded them, especially if they come from dubious sources like links and emails. Instead, you should first scan them. Run a security tool and scan them, while also do a check of the size and signatures for each of the files for anything suspicious. You might want to read the ransomware preventing tips thread from the forum section of the site.

Potato Ransomware – Technical Description

Potato ransomware is also a cryptovirus. The ransomware will encrypt files on your computer device while appending the same extension to them when the process completes.

Potato ransomware could make entries in the Windows Registry to achieve persistence. Those registry entries are usually designed in a way that will start the virus automatically with each launch of the Windows Operating System. The following registry entry might be used:

→HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

The ransom note will appear right after the encryption process completes. The note states what the demands of the cybercriminals are and points to other instructions for decrypting your files. These files are associated with the ransomware and contained in a folder called POTATO located on your Desktop:

• How to recover my files.txt
• ID_number.txt
• encrypted.txt
• decryptor.exe
• MSVCR100.dll

You can check out the main ransom message “How to recover my files.txt” here:

That main ransom message reads the following:

YOUR FILES WERE ENCRYPTED
using military-grade encryption (AES-256). The encrypted files
have the additional extention .potato. You won’t be able to retrieve your
data unless you make a payment by following the steps below:
1. Download the TOR browser
2. Access the following adress through TOR Browser for further instructions
http://tzakpakp6v5vwqqh.onion/
3. Enter your ID (see below) and hit “GET KEY” for further instructions
NOTICE: There’s a folder on your desktop named POTATO which
contains the following files:

ID_number.txt – an unique number that identifies your computer, which is mandatory for the payment process

encrypted.txt – a list of files that were encrypted; if you decide to have them back,
DO NOT DELETE IT

decryptor.exe (including MSVCR100.dll) – the program you’ll use for decryption
once the payment is made and the decryption key is transmitted to you

This is how the TOR browser page looks like:

The cybercriminals who are behind the Potato virus have put their demands in the ransom note. You should NOT in any circumstance pay the cyber crooks. Your files may not get recovered, and nobody could give you a guarantee for that. Furthermore, giving money to those criminals will likely just financially support them and probably give them the motivation to create more ransomware and do other criminal activities.

Files that get encrypted will receive the same extension appended to each of them, which is .potato. A list with file extensions that the Potato ransomware seeks to encrypt is currently not available. The article will be duly updated if any information regarding that matter comes out.

The Potato cryptovirus is very likely to delete the Shadow Copies from the Windows operating system by utilizing the following command:

→vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet

Keep reading to find out what type of ways you can try to restore some of your files.

Remove Potato Ransomware and Restore .potato Files

If your computer got infected with the Potato ransomware virus, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this ransomware as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the ransomware and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.

Manually delete Potato Ransomware from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the Potato Ransomware threat: Manual removal of Potato Ransomware requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Potato Ransomware files and objects

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by Potato Ransomware on your PC.

For Windows XP, Vista, 7 systems:

1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:

– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.

– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.

3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.

4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account

While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.

Step 1: Open the Start Menu

Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.

Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.

Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.

Step 6: Click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries of your computer to change different settings. This is why manual clean up of your Windows Registry Database is strongly recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit lenghty, we recommend following our instructive article about fixing registry entries.

2.Find malicious files created by Potato Ransomware on your PC

Find malicious files created by Potato Ransomware

1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows 7,XP and Vista.

For Newer Windows Operating Systems

Step 1:

On your keyboard press  + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.

Step 2:

Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.

Step 3:

Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:

N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.

For Older Windows Operating Systems

In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:

Step 1:

Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.

Step 2:

After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.

Step 3:

After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.

Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.

Automatically remove Potato Ransomware by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove Potato Ransomware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove Potato Ransomware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Potato Ransomware.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Potato Ransomware. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by Potato Ransomware in the future.

Step 1:Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is highly recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Potato Ransomware files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

2. Restore files encrypted by Potato Ransomware

Restore Files Encrypted by Potato Ransomware

Ransomware infections like Potato Ransomware aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to directly decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that they may not be 100% effective but they may help you little or a lot in some situations.

Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method of restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:

• Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery Technicians License(Pro version with more features)
• Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery
• Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery

Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors.
If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:

• Kaspersky Decryptors
• Emsisoft Decryptors

Urgent! It is strongly advisable to first remove the Potato Ransomware threat before attempting any decryption, since it may interfere with system files and registries. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using an advanced malware removal tool.

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for shadow copies in Windows using this software if ransomware has not deleted them:

• Shadow Explorer

Method 4: Finding Potato Ransomware decryption key while it communicates it via a network sniffing software.

Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:

Instructions on How to Find Decryption Key for Files Encrypted By Ransowmare

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove Potato Ransomware Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove Potato Ransomware.
Step 1: Download STOPZilla by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.

Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.

2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all Potato Ransomware associated files completely.
Step 1: Launch STOPZilla if you haven’t launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.

Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.

Berta Bilbao

Berta is the Editor-in-Chief of SensorsTechForum. She is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space.

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