Your Guide: How to Recover Files from Ransomware Attack

How to Recover Files from Ransomware?

It's very frustrating when you’re staring at a screen full of encrypted files with a chilling ransom note demanding payment to get your life back. Photos, work documents, tax records—all locked away by digital extortionists.

Panic is the natural first reaction, but the most critical step is to push past it and take controlled action. This guide will detail exactly how to recover files from ransomware without lining the pockets of criminals. It’s significant because your data is priceless, and paying the ransom is a dangerous gamble that funds further attacks and offers no guarantee. Knowing your options empowers you to fight back.

Immediate Actions After a Ransomware Attack

Before you even think about recovery, you have to stop the bleeding. Rushing to open recovery tools or panic-searching for solutions can make a terrible situation infinitely worse.

Isolate the Infection to Prevent Further Damage

First, physically disconnect the computer from any network. Unplug the network cable and disable Wi-Fi. This is critical because ransomware is programmed to propagate across network connections, targeting shared drives, networked backups, and other connected devices. Disconnection contains the malware on the initially infected machine.

If this is a work device, contact your IT support team without delay.

In a home environment, shut down other computers and devices on the same network as a precautionary measure.

This action prevents the ransomware from spreading to your other systems.

Identify the Specific Ransomware Strain

Take a screenshot of the ransom note—don’t interact with it—and note the file extensions added to your encrypted documents (like .lockbit, .phobos, or .crypt).

Then, using a separate, clean device (like your smartphone), head to the No More Ransom Project’s website (nomoreransom.org).

They have a fantastic “Crypto Sheriff” tool where you can upload a ransom note and a sample encrypted file. Identifying the strain is crucial because it tells you if a free decrypter exists.

How to Remove Ransomware Virus?

Now, it’s time to remove the Ransomware malware. Here is how to do:

1. Restart the infected computer and boot into Safe Mode.

For this step, you should select Safe Mode without networking if possible, as this provides the highest level of isolation. If you need to download a specific tool, you may use Safe Mode with Networking, but disconnect immediately after.

2. Once the computer is running in Safe Mode:

• Use a clean, uninfected computer to download reputable anti-malware and antivirus software. Transfer the installation files to the infected machine using a USB flash drive.
• On the infected computer, run a full system scan with the security software. Carefully follow all prompts to quarantine or remove any detected malicious files.

Recommended security tools for this process are Microsoft Defender Offline, Malwarebytes, Emsisoft Emergency Kit, and Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.

What Should You Do to Use a Computer Normally?

To use your computer normally after a ransomware attack, follow these essential steps in order:

1. Perform a Full System Reset: Don't just rely on scans. Back up or recover any file if possible, then completely wipe your drive and perform a clean install of Windows from official media. This is the only way to be sure the malware is gone.

2. Update Everything: Immediately after reinstalling Windows, run all Windows and software updates to patch the security holes the ransomware exploited.

3. Change All Passwords: From a clean device, change passwords for every important account used on the infected PC (email, banking, Microsoft account) and enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).

4. Restore Data from a Clean Backup: Only restore your personal files from a backup that was created before the attack and was disconnected (offline) or in immutable cloud storage during it. Never restore from a connected backup.

5. Strengthen Security: Install security software, set up proper offline backups using the 3-2-1 rule, and enable protections like Windows' Controlled Folder Access.

You can only resume normal use after completing a clean install, updating software, changing credentials, and restoring files from a verified safe backup. Skipping steps risks re-infection or permanent data loss.

How to Recover Files from Ransomware in 4 Ways?

After removing ransomware and identifying the Ransomware strain, you can now recover files. However, your recovery path depends heavily on the precautions you had in place before the attack. Let’s find out.

Way 1. Run Decryption Tool and Keys

Thanks to security researchers, free decryption tools exist for hundreds of older ransomware families. If the No More Ransom portal identifies your strain and links to a decrypter, follow their instructions to the letter.

Download the tool on a clean computer and transfer it via USB. Running it on the infected machine can sometimes work, but be prepared for it to fail on newer, more sophisticated variants.

This is the cleanest method for how to recover data from a ransomware virus, as it reverses the encryption mathematically. But remember, for current ransomware like LockBit or BlackCat, public decrypters often don’t exist yet.

Note: Repair Ransomware-Infected File

Sometimes, decryption isn't perfect, or the ransomware corrupted files during the process. This is where file repair utilities come in. For certain file types like Office documents or databases, specialized software can attempt to salvage the structure. It’s a more granular approach to how to repair ransomware-infected file data. While not always successful, it’s a valuable step for irreplaceable documents after you’ve recovered the bulk of your data through other means.

Way 2. Restore Files from Clean Backups

If you hear one thing, let it be this: a clean, offline, or immutable backup is your digital lifeboat. This is the single most effective answer for how to recover files from ransomware.

Never reconnect a backup drive that was attached during the attack until you are certain it’s clean. Using cloud backup with versioning? Restore from a version snapshot taken before the encryption date. This method doesn’t negotiate with terrorists; it simply rolls back the clock.

Way 3. Use Shadow Volume Copies or File History

Ransomware often tries to delete Windows' Shadow Volume Copies (Previous Versions), but it doesn’t always succeed. It’s worth a shot.

1. Right-click on an encrypted folder, select ‘Properties’, and go to the ‘Previous Versions’ tab.

2. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a list of snapshots from before the attack that you can restore.

Similarly, if you had Windows File History running to an external drive that was disconnected, you might be sitting on a goldmine. This method can be a straightforward fix for how to recover files corrupted by ransomware without any special tools, leveraging Windows' own protection mechanisms.

Way 4. Recover Data from Ransomware Virus with MyRecover

Specialized data recovery software becomes your top choice when there are no backups and no decrypter is available. While not a magical decrypter, a powerful tool like MyRecover can be instrumental in scanning a corrupted drive for residual data, lost partitions, or files that the ransomware may have targeted but not completely overwritten.

MyRecover provides viable data recovery for virus-attacked data, which may have been encrypted or damaged, rescuing your data from infected hard drives.

It’s designed for user-friendliness in high-stress situations.

So, you can recover files from Ransomware with MyRecover. Here is how to do:

1. Connect a USB drive of at least 32GB to a clean computer. Then download and install MyRecover.

2. Launch it and tap “PC Crashed Recovery”, choose your connected USB drive, and hit Create.

Notes:✎...

The wizard will format the USB and write a portable version of MyRecover onto it. This allows you to run the software without booting into the infected operating system, preventing further damage.

3. Insert the bootable USB drive into your infected computer. Restart the PC and press the key to enter the Boot Menu (common keys are F12, F10, ESC, or DEL—check your motherboard screen). Select the USB drive to boot from. The computer will load MyRecover.

4. Tap Disk Data Recovery in the MyRecover interface, select the infected drive, and hit Scan.

5. Hit OK when it’s finished.

6. Preview and select the files you need, and hit Recover. Then choose a safe location to keep them.

Notes:✎...

After the scan completes, you can navigate through the recovered file structure. Use filters to sort by file type (Documents, Photos, Videos), date modified (crucial to find pre-infection versions), or path. 

The preview function is vital here. Double-click on a file like a .jpg or .docx to see if MyRecover has found a healthy, unencrypted version from before the ransomware struck. This helps you avoid recovering the encrypted, useless files. 

You can also recover files from a crashed computer, an SSD drive that is not detected, an unformatted partition, an emptied recycle bin, etc.

FAQs About Recovering Data from Ransomware

Q: Should I ever pay the ransom to get my files back?

A: No. Experts and police advise never paying. It funds crime, marks you for future attacks, and offers no guarantee of a working key. Many get nothing. Always try every method for how to recover files from ransomware without paying first.

Q: Can antivirus software remove ransomware and decrypt my files?

A: Antivirus can remove the infection, but rarely decrypt files. It stops more encryption but leaves already locked files untouched. You must then focus on how to recover ransomware-encrypted files via backups or decrypters.

Q: Are files recovered using software like MyRecover always perfect and usable?

A: Not always. Success varies. You might recover a good pre-attack file, the useless encrypted version, or a corrupted file. Always use the preview function before finalizing recovery for how to recover files corrupted by ransomware.

Q: How can I tell if my backups are safe from ransomware?

A: A backup is only safe if not constantly connected. Ransomware encrypts attached drives. Use the 3-2-1 rule with an "air-gapped" (disconnected) or "immutable" (unchangeable) backup. If the drive was connected during the attack, assume it's compromised.

Q: What is the No More Ransom Project, and is it safe to use?

A: Yes, it's a safe, legitimate resource from police and security firms. It's the first stop for how to recover data from a ransomware virus, offering free decryption tools and a "Crypto Sheriff" to identify your ransomware strain.

Q: How long does the data recovery process typically take?

A: It varies from hours to weeks. A clean offline backup takes a day. A decrypter takes hours. Deep scans with recovery software can take 12-24 hours. Professional lab recovery takes weeks. The process for how to recover files from ransomware requires patience.