Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by .TEST Files Virus and other threats.
Threats such as .TEST Files Virus may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created in order to help you by showing how to remove the .TEST files virus (CryptoMix variant) from your computer and how to restore files that have been encrypted with the .TEST file extension.
New ransomware infection has been reported to infect computers. The virus, using the .TEST file extension has been outlined by researchers to have the .TEST file extension which it appends on the files of the compromised computer. In addition to this, the malware also drops a ransom note, named _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT which aims to convince the victims of the virus in order to pay a hefty ransom fee in order to try and restore the AES encrypted files.
Threat Summary
Name
.TEST Files Virus
Type
Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description
Aims to encrypt the files on the infected computer and ask victims to pay ransom in order to restore the encrypted files.
Symptoms
Aims to append the .TEST file suffix on the encrypted files and then drops a ransom note, named _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT.
Distribution Method
Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by .TEST Files Virus
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.
Test CryptoMix Ransomware – Spread
For the infection process, the .TEST ransomware virus may use more than one techniques, the main of which may be e-mail spam messages that may be sent to victims. Such e-mails often pretend they come from big companies, like PayPal, DHL, FedEx, Dropbox and others and their goal is to make you trust the deceitful messages within them that often aim to get you to open malicious attachments within the e-mails or click on an URL which eventually leads to the infection itself. Here is an example of how such e-mails appear:
In addition to this, there may be other methods by which the CryptoMix .TEST variant can infect your computer system. One of those methods is known to be via fake files, such as setups, program license activators, key generators as well as other types of seemingly legitimate files.
.TEST Ransowmare – Analysis
Upon the initial infection with the infection file of .TEST ransomware, the malware may begin to drop it’s malicious files in the following Windows folders:
%AppData%
%Local%
%LocalLow%
%Roaming%
%Temp%
As soon as the malicious files of the .TEST files virus are dropped onto the victim’s computers, the ransomware may begin to perform various different activities, such as interfere with the Windows Registry Editor, more particularly modify the following Windows Registry sub-keys:
After having done this, the .TEST files virus may also begin to modify various different types of processes and services in Windows, allowing it to obtain administrative power. Then, the .TEST ransomware may execute a script in Windows Command Prompt which stops several Windows processes and in addition to this may delete the Shadow Volume Copies of your computer, hence destroying backup and recovery via Windows. The commands to do these activities are as follows:
Then, the malware adds the _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT which aims to notify the victim of the ransomware virus that they must contact one of the test757 e-mails in order to pay a a ransom fee.
.TEST Files Virus – Encryption
For the encryption of files, the .TEST files virus may use various different techniques to located the files on your computer. It may scan for the most commonly used files on your computer, which are likely to be videos, documents, images and other types of important files with file extensions, among which may be the following:
After the files are detected, the .TEST files virus begins to alter aspects of those files by replacing their original code with encrypted data with the AES encryption algorithm. In addition to this, the virus also renames the files with random letters and numbers and adds the .TEST file extension to them, making them appear like the following:
Remove .TEST Files Virus and Restore Encrypted Files
In order to remove the .TEST files virus, it is recommended that you follow the removal instructions below. They are divided in manual or automatic and their primary purpose is to make sure that the .TEST files virus is permanently gone. Be advised that if you lack the experience in removing the .TEST files virus automatically, recommendations by security experts are to perform the removal automatically via an advanced anti-malware software which will automatically scan for and remove the .TEST files virus from your computer completely and protect your computer against future infections.
In addition to this, if you want to restore files that have been encrypted by the .TEST files ransomware, you can try and follow the alternative instructions for file recovery below in step “2. Restore files, encrypted by .TEST Files Virus”. They are created in order to help you restore as many files as possible, but they are no guarantee you will be able to recover all of the data.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by .TEST Files Virus and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as .TEST Files Virus. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove .TEST Files Virus follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .TEST Files Virus files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 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 up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by .TEST Files Virus on your PC
Find files created by .TEST Files Virus
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove .TEST Files Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .TEST Files Virus and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove .TEST Files Virus. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is 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. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
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 with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by .TEST Files Virus
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .TEST Files Virus
Ransomware infections and .TEST Files Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to 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 these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software. Another method for 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:
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:
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
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:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created in order to help you by showing how to remove the .TEST files virus (CryptoMix variant) from your computer and how to restore files that have been encrypted with the .TEST file extension.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .TEST Files Virus and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
