The way this malware modifies files is impossible to reverse without a decryption key or a data backup. The cybercriminals behind this malware advise purchasing this key along decryption software and warn that if the victim refuses to do so, one’s data will be lost forever.

The ransom note suggests contacting the criminals

The ransom note clones can be found in each data folder containing encrypted files. The message in it explains that various data types, such as documents, images and videos have been encrypted with strongest algorithm, and that the only solution leading to their recovery is purchasing ZOUU decryption tool from the ransomware operators. The criminals suggest that the price of this tool is $980, but for those who contact them within 72 hours the price will be reduced in half ($490). They provide two email addresses – support@freshmail.top and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc and advise sending one small encrypted file to them along with victim’s Personal ID. This ID can be found in any of the ransom notes and it is used for victim’s identification purposes. The attackers then respond to the email with a decrypted file version attached and further instructions for the victim. The perpetrators will explain that regular transactions won’t be accepted. The victim needs to purchase cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin worth the agreed amount ($980 or $490) and transfer it to the wallet address that the crooks provide. We do not recommend paying the ransom. The same advice is issued by reputable organizations such as FBI, NCSC or CyberReason. Issuing a ransom payment to criminals doesn’t give you any guarantees that files will actually be restored, besides, there will be no refunds, either. Paying up simply enables the attackers to create more malware and target more people, and on top of that, it makes you a desirable target that the crooks might try to target in the future. Therefore, if you have been infected with this file-encrypting malware, you may want to consider removing it ASAP. To remove ZOUU ransomware virus, follow the guidelines provided below this article. You will need to prepare your computer for the virus removal by booting it into Safe Mode with Networking and then run a reputable antivirus, such as INTEGO Antivirus. We highly recommend it since it is a powerful and trustworthy software for protecting your computer from malware. In addition, try downloading RESTORO (secure download link) to repair virus damage inflicted on Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

Methods used for ransomware distribution

Ransomware, just like other malware types, can be distributed either via online downloads, malware-laced advertisements or malicious email attachments. STOP/DJVU ransomware, including ZOUU virus, are mostly found in rogue online websites advertising software cracks. Computer users who are trying to save money by downloading illegal software versions put their computers at severe risk, so it is strongly advisable to forget such shady habits. Instead, computer users should support legitimate software developers. Award-winning antivirus solution for your PC. Robust security software that provides robust 24/7 real-time protection, Web Shield that stops online threats/malicious downloads, and Prevention engine that wards off Zero-Day threats. Keep your PC safe and protected against ransomware, Trojans, viruses, spyware and other forms of dangerous programs. There are many deceptive websites that even appear in online search results that serve these malware-laced installation files. They provide the alleged software cracks either via direct link or a torrent, however, once the victim launches the file inside the archive, it immediately begins the computer attack. Clearly, no useful software will be installed, as its name was only used as a disguise to trick the computer user into downloading the malware. That said, we’d like to remind computer users that genuine software copies can be downloaded from official and recognisable websites, and that is the only way to get fully-functional and secure premium software version that you need. Another commonly used distribution method is phishing emails containing some attachments. The criminals tend to impersonate well-known companies, online retailers or governmental organizations and they usually tell the target that due to a matter of urgency one has to open and view attached documents and reply as soon as possible. They might threaten the victim with the following statements:

Victim’s email account will be suspended; A large sum of money will be deducted from the user’s bank account due to subscription renewal; There is a payment pending/missing; There is an invoice that needs to be reviewed; User’s password has expired and needs to be changed.

As a matter of a fact, cybercriminals tend to greet their targets with a very generic line, such as Dear valued customer/client, and another sign that the sender isn’t a representative of a well-known company or institution is grammar mistakes in the email message. Furthermore, you may also want to check the sender’s email address to see if it is spoofed or not. Finally, computer users should remain cautious whenever they encounter aggressive online advertisements, especially those that pop-up in new windows or tabs. Deceptive ads often try to trick the computer user into downloading unwanted files and programs by promoting rogue software update installers. Such ads typically claim that a specific program on user’s computer is outdated and needs to be updated. Unfortunately, the update installer may carry a bunch of unwanted spyware/malware that will be installed at the same time. Therefore, it is advisable to check for software updates on legitimate websites only, or via the program settings on your computer. Suspicious online ads should never be trusted.

Remove ZOUU ransomware virus and decrypt/repair your files

Any computer user can remove ZOUU ransomware virus. Therefore, we have prepared instructions that you can use. Follow each step attentively and you will get rid of the malware that has invaded your computer. Regarding software recommendations, we strongly suggest using a reputable one like INTEGO Antivirus to delete malware remains. You can read its review on our website. In addition, you may want to repair Windows OS files modified or damaged by the ransomware. For this task, download RESTORO and give it a try. OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove ZOUU Ransomware Virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove ZOUU Ransomware Virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt ZOUU files

Fix and open large ZOUU files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. ZOUU Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt ZOUU files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The ZOUU decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your ZOUU extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of ZOUU Ransomware Virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.