OFFER*Gosw is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Gosw
Gosw is a Ransomware cryptovirus that can restrict access to valuable user information through encryption. The victims of Gosw will learn about the attack once a ransom message appears on their screen.
You have come to the right place if you have been searching for a way to remove Gosw from your device and prevent paying a ransom to some cyber criminals. And while this is one of the sturdiest malware forms, our “How to Remove” team would do their best to help you successfully deal with the infection. We’ll even suggest how to restore some of your information, and it won’t cost you anything at all. So, let’s begin.
The Gosw virus
The Gosw virus is an infection that can sneak into your computer and encrypt the files that you use the most. The Gosw virus secretly begins the encryption of the target files and shows a ransom note after the encryption process is done.
In general, Ransomware infections are very sophisticated. The hackers who create them use multiple techniques of distribution including the so-called social intelligence to inject the malware on as many computers as possible. Sometimes a Trojan horse will be used to deliver the ransomware inside the system. Malvertising and spam are also effective methods of infecting a large number of people with threats like Gosw, Qoqa, Qotr, Goaq. Regrettably, you can get infected when you click on such messages out of curiosity, and with this, the encryption process will be activated.
The .Gosw file encryption
The .Gosw file encryption is a secret code that gets applied to a list of user files to make them inaccessible. The .Gosw file encryption can be reversed if the victims obtain a specially generated decryption key from the hackers behind the ransomware.
You will typically discover a ransom note on the screen of the infected machine and even on the folders that contain encrypted documents. Some hackers may even bring it to the next level and play a very irritating vocal message in order to scare the victims. All this is done with the sole intention of bullying and intimidating the users and not giving them time to explore their alternatives.
It is not very likely that you will obtain a decryption key to recover your files after the ransom money transfer is made. Most often, this is another trap that leaves the victims with only empty pockets. As a general rule, the ransom payment is required in Bitcoins, which is an untraceable online currency. So, as you can see, the chance of returning your money is zero. Still, a significant number of victims decide to risk their money with the hope that the hackers will send them a decryption key. Sadly, many of them are left their files encrypted for good and no money in their pockets.
Fortunately, there’s another choice if you don’t want to be one of the fooled victims. We recommend that you take the initiative in your hands and find out how to remove Gosw and recover some of your files for free. The instructions in the removal guide below can be a starting point but if you need more professional assistance, we recommend that you use specialized software or the help of a security expert of your choice.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Gosw |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Data Recovery Tool | Not Available |
| Detection Tool | We tested that SpyHunter successfully removes parasite* and we recommend downloading it. Manual removal may take hours, it can harm your system if you re not careful, and parasite may reinstall itself at the end if you don't delete its core files. |
*Gosw is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Remove Gosw Ransomware
If you have been attacked by the Gosw Ransomware (or any other Ransomware virus for that matter), the first thing you ought to do as soon as you find out about the virus infection is open the Task Manager and attempt to find and quit the process or processes of the threat. This could be a tricky task but because advanced threats such as Gosw tend to disguise their processes, but it is also a very important one because completing it will prevent the virus from encrypting more data and will also make the removal of the threat easier.
To find and end the malware process(s), press together the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys from the keyboard and then select the Processes section from the Task Manager. There, you will see what processes are active in your computer’s system at the current moment and hopefully spot the process behind the Gosw infection. As we said, threats like Gosw tend to disguise their processes by giving them different names so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a process with the Gosw name listed in the Task Manager. You should be looking for resource-intensive processes that use up large portions of the CPU or RAM of your PC and that have unusual and odd-looking names. If there is a process running in your system that consumes lots of resources and doesn’t seem to be linked to any of the programs that are currently open, you should consider it as a potential suspect.
Once you have singled out the processes you think may be related to Gosw, look up their names as this will give you more insight into what their origins may be and possibly help you figure out if they are likely to be coming from the Ransomware or if they are simply regular processes that you have mistaken for dangerous ones.
Next, after you have figured out which of the processes you looked up may be coming from Gosw, right click on it from the Task Manager, click on Open File Location, and then proceed to scan each of the files contained in the newly opened folder using the free scanner below, a security tool of your own, or, preferably, both of those scanning options.
If even a single file from the ones you scan gets flagged as malicious, you must go back to the process from the Task Manager, right-click on it once more, and select the End Processs Tree option. After you do this, delete the file location folder. It is possible that you won’t be permitted to delete some of the files that are in the folder which would prevent you from deleting the folder itself. In this case, delete what you are allowed to from the files stored in the file location folder and proceed to the steps below. Once all other steps from the guide have been completed, be sure to return to this folder to again try to delete it alongside the files that you haven’t been able to remove earlier.
WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
*Gosw is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Boot your PC into Safe Mode – this should keep the malware from interrupting you during the rest of the removal process. Use this How to Boot into Safe Mode guide that we offer on our site to help you with this step if you aren’t sure how to access Safe Mode.
*Gosw is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.
Once you have Safe Mode enabled, you will have to clear your system of startup items that are unnecessary, unwanted, and/or potentially linked to the Gosw virus. Those are apps and features that are launched automatically when the computer starts, and it is highly possible that Gosw has introduced a startup item of its own to your system without your knowledge or permission.
You can see the startup entries on your PC by typing System Configuration under the Start Menu, hitting Enter, and selecting the Startup tab. This will reveal to you the different startup items enabled on your PC – if any of them are unfamiliar to you and you think they may be linked to the virus, disable them by unchecking the box in front of their names.
After all suspicious startup items have been unchecked, select OK to confirm the new changes and then move on to Step 4.
Enter the following line under the Start Menu and click on the first shown search result: notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts. A text file named Hosts should open up and in it, you must look for IP addresses or other lines of text written below Localhost. Anything you see there you must send to us through the comments section. In most cases of malware infections, the malicious program would introduce changes to the Hosts file of the system in the form of IP addresses under Localhost. However, since sometimes some regular and non-harmful programs may also modify this file, until we have a look at the IP addresses we won’t be able to tell you if anything needs to be done here.
After we examine the IP addresses you’ve found in the Hosts file, we will reply to your comment, telling you if they are likely to be from Gosw. If we say they are, you will have to manually delete them from Hosts and then click on File > Save to save the changes.
Next, go to the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu and selecting the regedit.exe file from the search results. If asked to provide Admin confirmation to open the app, do that by selecting Yes.
Once in the Registry Editor, your job is to find anything that could be linked to Gosw and to do that you must press Ctrl + F or click on Edit and then on Find to evoke the search field for the Registry Editor. Then type the Gosw name in the search box and select Find Next. If an item is found, select it and delete it either by pressing the Del key or by right-clicking on the item and then selecting Delete and then confirming the deletion. It is very important to make sure that you are deleting the correct Registry item. If you delete something that you are not supposed to, this could lead to system instability, crashes, errors, and other unforeseen consequences. In case of doubt, always request our assistance through the comments section instead of acting on your own and risking the deletion of an item that mustn’t be touched. After you delete the first item named Gosw, rinse and repeat the search and delete process until the items named Gosw are all gone from the Registry.
Lastly, find the following directories/folders in the Registry and look for suspicious items in them that may be linked to the virus. Since you’ve deleted everything named Gosw, the items you should be looking for would have different names. In most cases, when a malware adds something to these Registry locations, the item would have a very long name that comprises seemingly randomly arranged characters, so it would usually stand out from the rest. Nevertheless, as we mentioned above, in case of doubt, it’s always the better option to tell us about the item you think is suspicious and wait for our reply before you proceed with the deletion.
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Internet Explorer > Main
- %AppData%
- %LocalAppData%
- %ProgramData%
- %WinDir%
- %Temp%
Sort the files in those folders by order of date and then delete the most recent items – ones that have been created after the Ransomware infected your machine. When you reach the Temp folder, press Ctrl + A to select all files and then delete them all.
Finally, after everything has been completed, don’t forget to visit the file location folder from Step 1 and delete that folder with whatever files may have been left inside it (in case you were not able to delete the whole folder on your first try).
How to Decrypt Gosw files
Deleting Gosw is only the first part of dealing with the virus and its effects. Once the threat is gone, you will still have to try some recovery methods to try to restore your locked data – the removal of the Ransomware itself will not result in your data’s recovery. However, it is essential that you remove Gosw before you try to restore any data or else the files you may manage to bring back may get locked up once more by the virus. If you think that some files on your PC may be related to the malware, use the free online scanner we offer on our site to test them for hidden threats.
Now, if you don’t want to pay the ransom, we have prepared a separate guide that focuses on How to Decrypt Ransomware that you can visit by selecting the provided link. There, you will find several alternatives to the ransom payment that may help you with the restoration of your data.
Final Notes
After completing the steps posted here, the Gosw virus should be gone from your computer. If, however, even then you think that the threat may still be lurking inside your system, be sure to try out the professional malware removal tool that can be found within the current post – this program can quickly detect and block a wide variety of malware hazards, and it can also provide you with strong security in the future. Last but not least, don’t forget that the comments section below is always open for anyone who wishes to ask us questions related to the Gosw threat or to its removal.
Gosw is an advanced and very dangerous computer threat of the Ransomware variety, and its main job is to encrypt important user data and then ask for a ransom payment. Gosw, usually distributed with the help of disguised Trojan Horse backdoor viruses. In the initial stage of the attack by this Ransomware virus, the user is unlikely to notice any infection symptoms, since the malware isn’t actually harming any of the targeted files. This could also be the reason why most antivirus programs would likely fail to detect the threat. Another thing that could help Gosw remain unnoticed is that a Trojan or a Rootkit that’s also in the system may be blocking the security software in the system from spotting the Ransomware infection. After it completes the encryption of all files that it has targeted, Gosw would automatically inform you about its presence in the system and about the encryption process that has just taken place. It would do this via a ransom-demanding note, in which you are told that the only way to restore your files is if you pay a ransom in exchange for the decryption key.
Gosw is a virus that specializes in data encryption and is used for blackmailing its victims for a ransom payment. The Gosw virus belongs to the widespread Ransomware file-encrypting virus category, and its removal doesn’t free the locked files from the encryption applied to them. Removing the virus, however, is still important, especially if you intend to try recovering your data via any of the available alternative data-recovery methods. Also, it must be said that, although Gosw will likely not harm your system, another threat that may have entered your computer alongside the Ransomware may do that. For this reason, if you have this Ransomware on your computer at the moment, it is very important to perform a thorough system clean-up, making sure that all rogue data, settings, and software gets deleted. Once you’ve cleaned your computer, you’d be free to try the alternative recovery methods that do not involve paying the demanded ransom.
To decrypt Gosw files, you are advised to not pay the ransom and instead try the alternative data-recovery methods. Paying the ransom to decrypt Gosw files can often backfire and result in losing a big amount of money without recovering any of the locked files. There are many things that could go wrong if you opt for the payment option. First of all, the hackers could simply refuse to keep their end of the “deal” and not send you the key. Another possibility is that, if they do send you a key, that key may be corrupted and thus fail to restore your data. Thirdly, the blackmailers may already have a new virtual wallet different from the one shown in the ransom note so you may end up sending money to someone who isn’t related to Gosw and can’t help you with the files’ restoration. Unfortunately, the alternative methods, too, are not failproof and may also not yield satisfactory results. Still, it’s better to try them first rather than directly risk your money by sending it to the hackers.
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