*Source of claim SH can remove it.
.Play
Encrypted personal files and a ransom note displayed on the desktop of your computer is what you can expect from malicious programs of the ransomware category such as the recently discovered .Play. .Play is a sophisticated cryptovirus and is highly dangerous.
However, since you have come to this page, you probably already know that. Most of the readers of this article are likely among the many victims of the insidious and nefarious .Play cryptovirus. Our job in this post is to give you some essential information regarding the abilities and the specifics of this nasty piece of malware as well as tell you about the possible courses of action you can take to potentially resolve the issue with minimum negative consequences.
Before we go any further, though, we should warn you that, since these malware threats like Lloo are among the nastiest and the most advanced forms of malware out there, it may not always be possible to restore every single thing to the way it used to be prior to the infection. This mostly means that you may not be able to get all of your files back no matter what you do. We will explain the reason for this will below.
The .Play virus
You basically have two options if the .Play virus has managed to get into your computer and lock your files with its nasty encryption. One is to pay the demanded ransom money to the hackers behind the .Play virus, and the other is to try all available alternative solutions you can get your hands on.
One such solution is the removal guide below. Our advice? Do not directly pay the money the hackers want of you hoping to have your files restored. The criminals behind this ransomware may or may not keep their promise of letting you regain access to your data which unfortunately means that the money you send them may simply be wasted without you getting any of your encrypted data back.
The .Play file
The first and most crucial thing to do if you have decided not to pay the is to remove the .Play file from your computer. The guide on this page and the removal tool linked in it can be really helpful in locating and removing the .Play file.
The reason it’s so essential to get rid of the cryptovirus is because that way you will at least be able to use your computer again without fear of getting any more data encrypted. Also, now you will can safely try to restore the locked files since the malware will no longer be able to lock them up again. However, unfortunately, there are no surefire methods for the recovery of files that are locked by ransomware. There are some suggestions on you can find in a separate section of the guide but we can’t promise you any miracles. Still, trying everything that is available to you as a potential solution is the way to go which is why we strongly advise you to waste no time and start following the guide provided on this page.
SUMMARY:
| Name | .Play |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Danger Level | High (Ransomware is by far the worst threat you can encounter) |
| Symptoms | Very few and unnoticeable ones before the ransom notification comes up. |
| Distribution Method | From fake ads and fake system requests to spam emails and contagious web pages. |
| 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. |
*Source of claim SH can remove it.
Remove .Play Ransomware
Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.
Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).
WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
*Source of claim SH can remove it.
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab. Try to determine which processes are dangerous.
Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:
After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders.
Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections.
Hold the Start Key and R – copy + paste the following and click OK:
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:
If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.
Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:
Go in Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.
- Please note that ransomware may even include a fake Manufacturer name to its process. Make sure you check out every process here is legitimate.
Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter. Once inside, press CTRL and F together and type the virus’s Name.
Search for the ransomware in your registries and delete the entries. Be extremely careful – you can damage your system if you delete entries not related to the ransomware.
Type each of the following in the Windows Search Field:
- %AppData%
- %LocalAppData%
- %ProgramData%
- %WinDir%
- %Temp%
Delete everything in Temp. The rest just check out for anything recently added. Remember to leave us a comment if you run into any trouble!
How to Decrypt .Play files
We have a comprehensive (and daily updated) guide on how to decrypt your files. Check it out here.
If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!
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