How To Remove Dharma Ransomwre

The Dharma virus aims to trick victims into paying a ransom of $100 in Bitcoins so they can close the annoying program and restore encrypted files with a decryption key. In fact, Dharma virus only pretends to encrypt data but instead it only locks the screen trying to scare victims into paying the demanded fee. Find out how to deal with Dharma virus and remove it completely from the infected machine: It all begins with a file named Dharma.exe sometimes Dharma_ransomware.exe running on the computer. However, if you choose to remove Dharma virus manually, have in mind that the threat creates and drops new malicious files and then deletes the initial infection file making its detection harder. It could even hide its malicious files in legal processes that are currently running on the system.

 

 

 

Dharma virus infects the PC via a malicious payload that lands on the system. The payload usually contains an executable file that triggers the malicious Dharma script. Upon infection, the D2+D virus can’t stay unnoticed as it loads a window that locks the PC screen. It contains a ransom note left by the culprits in which they urge victims to pay a ransom of $100 in Bitcoins (currently 0.04 BTC). The good news is that D2+D crypto virus doesn’t encrypt any files but it only tries to trick victims into paying the ransom. The security researchers have cracked the Dharma code and let it out in public. Thus, it seems that when a victim of D2+D virus enters the password 215249148 in the indicated file, the monitor screen would unlock. However, the PC and all data stored on it continue to be at risk as long as D2+D virus files remain on the system. Furthermore, if the threat remains on the computer, it will appear each time the Windows is started due to registry modifications performed during the infection flow.

 

 

 

 

How To Remove Dharma Ransomwre

 

1: Using Safe Mode

Before beginning to troubleshoot the issue, you are advised to enter Safe Mode on your PC.

 2: Spotting the process

Open your Task Manager using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination. Next, go to the processes tab and carefully look through the list for any shady entries. Usually, malicious processes will be consuming large amounts of CPU and RAM and will either have no description or will have a suspicious-looking one.

Once you identify the virus’ process, right-click on it and select Open File Location. Delete everything in the folder that opens if you are sure that the process was malicious. If you are not sure, contact us in the comments.

Go back to the Task Manager and end the potentially harmful process.

3: Hosts file IP’s

Go to your start menu and in the search field, paste the following address: notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts. Select the first result and look at the bottom of the newly opened notepad file. See if there are any IP’s below “Localhost” and tell us in the comments if there were any IP addresses. 

4: System Configuration Startup Programs

Type System Configuration in the Windows search bar and open the first result. Go to the Startup tab and take a look at the list of startup programs (on Windows 10, the Startup programs can be seen in the Startup Section of the Task Manager). If any of them look shady or have unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer with a sketchy name, uncheck those entries and click on OK.

5: Registry

Open the Run window (WinKey + R), type regedit and press Enter. Once the Registry Editor opens, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus. Select Find Next and delete whatever gets found that has the virus’ name. Do that with all search results.

6: Deleting potential virus files

Open the Start Menu and separately type each of the following locations: %AppData% %LocalAppData% %ProgramData% %WinDir% %Temp% . Open each of those folders and sort their contents by date. Delete the most recent files and folders. When you open the Temp folder, delete everything in it.

 

 

 

Dharma Ransomware virus is a data locker type of malware that transforms certain data and renders it unusable. So once the malicious payload that starts the infection process is running on the computer, Dharma virus occupies the system and performs various modifications. The complete removal of all malicious files and objects created by the D2+D virus is necessary as it will prevent the offensive window displayed by Dharma virus and protect data theft by crooks.