Welcome to our .Odin Virus File removal instructions. This article intends to help you remove .Odin Files from your system and is designed to work for all Windows versions.
Overnight an incredibly dangerous and malicious new version of the infamous Locky ransomware has appeared. It is being tentatively called .Odin File Virus. The Ransomware class of viruses is currently the greatest online threat that you can encounter. Due to its unique way of functioning, rapid evolution, improvement and distribution, dealing with this type of malicious programs is currently the top priority of many security software programs. Unfortunately, this does not seem to hinder hackers from spreading their Ransomware viruses and terrorizing both regular users and big corporations. .Odin is currently one of the latest malicious file-encrypting programs of this kind. A big number of users have been recently reporting infections with it. This led us to come up with this article in order to both try to help the victims of .Odin Virus deal with the issue and provide all our readers with some crucial information concerning Ransomware viruses.
Why Ransomware is not like other viruses
The majority of harmful software out there usually carries out some kind of malicious process aimed at either destroying your PC’s system or completing some other kind of malicious task. In contrast, typical Ransomware uses the method of encryption to fulfill its purpose. .Odin locks your files with a sophisticated code, rendering them inaccessible to anyone who does not have the decryption key and the only one who has it is usually the hacker in control of the virus. However, there are a lot of regular programs that also use encryption for their files. Therefore, encryption is rarely seen as a malicious process and most anti-viruses won’t detect it. This is how Ransomware is able to lock you out of your files without being noticed and it is also one of the things that make these viruses so devious and difficult to effectively counteract.
The different stages of the encryption
.Odin Ransomware does not simply get on your PC and instantly lock all your data. Instead, it first needs to copy the files it has targeted – it is actually those copies that have been locked by the encryption code and not your original files. Once all of this is done, the Ransomware deletes the originals. The end result is that you still have your data, but it is virtually useless, unless you have the decryption key. This is where the ransom part comes into play. After your documents have been made inaccessible, the virus actually reveals itself by showing you a message, in which it demands a ransom payment in exchange for the needed key. There are also specific instructions on how to make the money transfer. It is important to note here that in the majority of instances, the ransom is demanded in bitcoins. Due to the fact that this cyber-currency is virtually untraceable, it is ideally suited for the needs of the hackers. In most cases cyber-criminals that use Ransomware do not get caught and are able to continue blackmailing people indefinitely – one more reason why the Ransomware threat is becoming an ever bigger issue.
What options are there after the encryption?
Sadly, there are not many things that a victim of .Odin can do if their files have already been locked by the virus. Paying the ransom is not a good course of action, because you never know if you are actually going to get the key that you so desperately need. The other potential option is to seek a way to resolve your problem without making the transfer. Below this article is a removal guide that might help you do that. However, bear in mind that due to the unique and ever-evolving nature of Ransomware this method might not always be able to solve all your problems caused by the noxious software. Still, giving it a try won’t cost you anything and may potentially save you both time and money.
Important tips concerning Ransomware
Surely, it is important to remove the current threat and restore your files to their previous state. Nevertheless, bear in mind that this issue is only going to get worse as time passes, until a truly effective remedy is found that would be applicable to all viruses of this kind. Until then, you will need to learn how to keep your system protected from any future Ransomware infections. In order to do that, take note of the following tips:
- Never open any questionable and suspicious e-mails or links, even if they have been sent to you from somebody you know and trust – many viruses can turn one’s device into a spam-bot against the user’s will.
- Stay away from any shady and illegal sites and download content only from sources you know you can trust.
- Install reliable anti-virus software. Oftentimes .Odin gets into people’s computers via other viruses that serve as a backdoor into your system.
- Make a back-up of any important documents you might have, so that even if Ransomware infects your PC and locks your data, you’d still have accessible copies of your files.
- Look for Ransomware infection symptoms such as high CPU and RAM usage and a general PC slow-down. If you suspect an infection, shut your PC down and have it taken to a professional. Also, do not attach any other devices such as smartphones or flash-drives if you think your machine has been attacked by .Odin, since files on them might also get encrypted by the virus.
| Threat | .Odin |
| Classification | Ransomware |
| Security Alert |
High. |
| Negative Effects | Significant decrease in your PC’s productivity caused by high CPU and RAM consumption coming from an unknown and suspicious looking process in your Task Manager might be an indication of a Ransomware infection. |
.Odin Virus File Removal
Reveal Hidden Files. If you don’t know how to do this, ask us in the comments.
=> Search=> Copy/Paste “notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts” => Enter.
If you notice other IPs different from the localhost IPs – you might be in danger!
Ask for additional help in the comments.
Right click on the Taskbar => Start Task Manager.
Navigate to Processes.
Locate any suspicious processes associated with .Odin. Right click on the process = > Open File Location => End Process = > Delete the directories with the suspicious files.
=> Search => Type:
- %AppData%
- %LocalAppData%
- %ProgramData%
- %WinDir%
- %Temp%
Hit Enter after each new search. Check each Folder and delete recent entries.
Get Your Files Back!
The only way you can do that is by backpedaling to a moment when you were not infected. You can achieve this in one of two ways:
- System Restore. => Search field => Type System Restore => Enter.
Choose a Restore Point.
Click Next until the process has been completed. - Google and Download a Program called ShadowExplorer. Install and open it => Choose the Drive letter (C:, D:, F:, etc.) and date you want to restore information from => Right click on the files you want restored => Export.
If you run into any trouble – ask us for help in the comments section!
