What is El Dorado Ransomware?

El Dorado Ransomware is a dangerous computer virus that infects devices through malicious email attachments, software downloads, or exploiting vulnerabilities in the system. Once the ransomware infiltrates the computer, it encrypts files by adding the “.El Dorado” extension to them, making them inaccessible to the user. El Dorado Ransomware uses strong encryption algorithms such as AES or RSA to lock the files, making it extremely difficult to decrypt them without the unique decryption key.

When El Dorado Ransomware encrypts the files, it creates a ransom note usually named “HOW_TO_RECOVER_FILES.txt” or similar, which contains instructions on how to pay the ransom to get the decryption key. Unfortunately, there are no official decryption tools available for El Dorado Ransomware at the moment, making it challenging for victims to recover their files without paying the ransom. However, it is not recommended to pay the ransom as there is no guarantee that the cybercriminals will provide the decryption key or that it will work properly. If you have .00000001 files encrypted by El Dorado Ransomware, it is advisable to seek help from cybersecurity experts or use reputable decryption tools to attempt to recover your files.

There are two solutions to remove El Dorado Ransomware and decrypt your files. The first is to use an automated removal tool. This method is suitable even for inexperienced users since the removal tool can delete all instances of the virus in just a few clicks. The second is to use the Manual Removal Guide. This is a more complex way that requires special computer skills.

The content of ransom note (HOW_RETURN_YOUR_DATA.TXT):

To the board of directors.
Your network has been attacked through various vulnerabilities found in your system.We have gained full access to the entire network infrastructure.
All your confidential information about all employees and all partners and developments has been downloaded to our servers and is located with us.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Our team has an extensive background in legal and so called white hat hacking.However, clients usually considered the found vulnerabilities to be minor and poorlyrpaid for our services.So we decided to change our business model. Now you understand how important it isr
to allocate a good budget for IT security.This is serious business for us and we really don’t want to ruin your privacy,rreputation and a company.We just want to get paid for our work whist finding vulnerabilities in various networks.
Your files are currently encrypted with our tailor made state of the art algorithm.Don’t try to terminate unknown processes, don’t shutdown the servers, do not unplug drives,all this can lead to partial or complete data loss.
We have also managed to download a large amount of various, crucial data from your network.A complete list of files and samples will be provided upon request.
We can decrypt a couple of files for free. The size of each file must be no more than 5 megabytes.
All your data will be successfully decrypted immediately after your payment.You will also receive a detailed list of vulnerabilities used to gain access to your network.+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
If you refuse to cooperate with us, it will lead to the following consequences for your company:1. All data downloaded from your network will be published for free or even sold2. Your system will be re-attacked continuously, now that we know all your weak spotsr
3. We will also attack your partners and suppliers using info obtained from your network4. It can lead to legal actions against you for data breaches
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+!!!!Instructions for contacting our team!!!!+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+—> Download and install TOR browser from this site : hxxps://torproject.org—> For contact us via LIVE CHAT open our website : *********—> If Tor is restricted in your area, use VPN—> All your Data will be published in 7 Days if NO contact made—> Your Decryption keys will be permanently destroyed in 3 Days if no contact made—> Your Data will be published if you will hire third-party negotiators to contact us

How El Dorado Ransomware gets on my computer?

Cybercriminals use various techniques to deliver the virus to the target computer. Ransomware viruses can infiltrate victims’ computers more than in one or two ways, in most cases, cryptoviral extortion attack is carried out with the help of the following methods:

• Spam

  This is the most used distribution method. Cybercriminals use fraudulent emails to pose as official organizations or business companies (receipts, winning notifications, confirmation of order; bank messages, and so on) to lure unsuspecting users into clicking on a malicious attachment – just one click to make your files inaccessible. To mislead the user and make it look like an official email, cybercriminals add an extra symbol to the email address, for example, instead of service@paypal.com, you may see service[.]@paypal.com or service[_]@paypal.com. That’s why you should always pay attention to received emails and identify the sender to make sure that this is from a trusted source. Also, the presence of grammatical and typographical errors in the text of the message indicates that this is fake. If nothing’s wrong, scan the attachment with antivirus software first and then you can open it. Compliance with all these rules will help you save a lot of nerve, time, and money.
• Software

  Hackers use the special toolkit to exploit known vulnerabilities in systems or applications. That’s why you should always make Windows updates on time and keep them up to date. Remember that these updates close the security holes in the system through which the virus can enter your computer. Make sure that your operating system itself is not outdated and is officially supported, for example, Windows XP, Vista, 7 are no longer supported.
• Malicious

  Various dubious web-sources can contain malicious scripts or hyperlinks that can infect your system. Our advice – avoid visiting P2P sites and websites with illegal content (pirated software, movies, music). Use only legitimate services and remember – there’s no free lunch in this world.
• RDP

  Cybercriminals often abuse the built-in Windows feature – Remote Desktop Protocol to infect computers with ransomware. That way, they access the target computer remotely and install viruses manually. To avoid infection via RDP, you should set a different from 3389 TCP port and use a more strong password.

How to remove El Dorado Ransomware?

Recommended Solution:

• Removal Tool
• Recovery Tool
• Prevention Tool

Try SpyHunter

SpyHunter is a powerful tool that is able to keep your Windows clean. It would automatically search out and delete all elements related to malware. It is not only the easiest way to eliminate malware but also the safest and most assuring one. The full version of SpyHunter costs $42 (you get 6 months of subscription). By clicking the button, you agree to EULA and Privacy Policy. Downloading will start automatically.

Download SpyHunter

Try Stellar Data Recovery

Stellar Data Recovery is one of the most effective tools that can recover lost and corrupted files — documents, emails, pictures, videos, audio files, and more — on any Windows device. The powerful scan engine can detect compromised files and finally save them to specified destination. Despite its advancedness, it’s very concise and simple so that even the most inexperienced user can figure it out.

Download Stellar Data Recovery

Try MailWasher

Email security is the first line of defense against ransomware viruses. To do this, we recommend that you use MailWasher. MailWasher blocks ransomware viruses coming through spam and phishing, and automatically detects malicious attachments and URLs. In addition, malicious messages can be blocked even before the recipient opens them. Since the main source of the spread of ransomware viruses are infected emails, antispam significantly reduces the risk of a virus appearing on your computer.

Download MailWasher

After the virus is completely removed from your system, you can already start restoring your files directly.

How to decrypt files infected by El Dorado Ransomware?

Method 1. Restore your files with the help of Recovery Tool

In case your PC has been attacked by ransomware, you may restore your files by using file recovery software. Stellar Data Recovery is one of the most effective tools that can recover lost and corrupted files — documents, emails, pictures, videos, audio files, and more — on any Windows device. The powerful scan engine can detect compromised files and finally save them to specified destination. Despite its advancedness, it’s very concise and simple so that even the most inexperienced user can figure it out.

1. Run Stellar Data Recovery.
2. Select type of files you want to restore and click Next.



3. Select the drive and folder where your files are located and date that you want to restore them from and press Scan.



4. Once the scanning process is done, click Recover to restore your files.



5. After this, select a destination and click Start Saving to save restored data.

Since new ransomware-type viruses appear almost every day, there is no technical possibility to issue a decryptor for each virus. In this case, the recovery tool comes to the rescue. Despite the fact that this is one of the most effective methods in the absence of a decryptor, this is not 100 percent and not the only way.

Method 2. Restore the system using System Restore

Although the latest versions of El Dorado Ransomware can remove system restore files, this method may help you partially restore your files. Give it a try and use standard System Restore to revive your data. The entire process is preferably carried out in Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

For Windows XP/Vista/7 users:

Restart your computer and before your system starts – hit F8 several times. This will prevent system from loading and will show Advanced boot options screen. Choose Safe mode with Command Prompt option from the options list using up and down arrows on your keyboard and hit Enter.

For Windows 8/10 users:

1. Click the Start button, then select Settings
2. Click Update & Security, then select Recovery and click Restart now.
3. After your device reboots, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options >Startup Settings > Restart



4. After your PC restarts, you should press F5 key to Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

After the system is loaded in Safe Mode with Command Prompt, do following:

1. In the Command Prompt window, type cd restore and hit Enter.



2. Then type rstrui.exe and hit Enter again.



3. Once a new window shows up, click Next.



4. Choose the date before the infection appearance and click Next again



5. In the opened pop-up window, click Yes to start system restore.

For Windows 11 users:

1. Click the Start button from the Taskbar and then click Settings.
2. In the System interface, go to the right pane, scroll down to find, and click Recovery.
3. In the new window, you can see some recovery options. Just click the Restart now button next to Advanced startup.
4. Click Restart now again and Windows will enter the recovery environment.
5. Then, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
6. You can see three options to enter Safe Mode. Just press F4, F5, or F6 based on your needs.

Method 4. Roll the files back to the previous version

Previous versions can be copies of files and folders created by Windows Backup (if it is active) or copies of files and folders created by System Restore. You can use this feature to restore files and folders that you accidentally modified or deleted, or that were damaged. This feature is available in Windows 7 and later versions.

1. Click the encrypted file and choose Properties
2. Open the Previous Version tab
3. Select the latest version and click Copy
4. Click Restore

How to prevent your system from Ransomware?

No one is safe from infection with a virus that secretly encrypts your data. But in order to minimize this risk, you need to follow the rules:

1. Always make Windows updates on time and keep them up to date. Remember that these updates close the security holes in the system through which the virus can enter your computer.
2. The most efficient way to avoid data loss is of course to make a backup of all important data from your computer. It is enough just to synchronize the necessary folders with one of the cloud services, so as not to be afraid to see the text requiring the payment of bitcoins in exchange for a decryption key. It can be a cloud or a remote hard drive on the network. If you store all your files on the Internet, the likelihood of virus infection will be lower. Do not make copies to external hard drives, as this could damage them.
3. Since spam email is the most popular form of spreading ransomware-type viruses, the user should never open email attachments without first having scanned them with antivirus. Just clicking on the link or opening the attachment can damage the operating system (Windows) in a few minutes, damage important data, and infect other machines with the virus.
• AntiSpam

Try MailWasher









Email security is the first line of defense against ransomware viruses. To do this, we recommend that you use MailWasher. MailWasher blocks ransomware viruses coming through spam and phishing, and automatically detects malicious attachments and URLs. In addition, malicious messages can be blocked even before the recipient opens them. Since the main source of the spread of ransomware viruses are infected emails, antispam significantly reduces the risk of a virus appearing on your computer.

Download MailWasher

4. Ransomware-type viruses often crawl into a system using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP is a legitimate and useful feature that allows a user to take control of a remote computer or virtual machine over a network connection. But, at the same time, this is its Achilles’ heel as it’s poorly secured and has many vulnerabilities that can give hackers easy entry into the victim’s computer. In this case, we advise you to set a different from 3389 TCP port and use a more strong password. You can additionally protect yourself from virus penetration through an RDP connection with the help of a reliable firewall such as GlassWire’s Firewall.
5. All previous methods do not matter if you do not have a reliable antivirus. The presence of anti-virus protection on your computer can prevent all these unpleasant surprises. Anti-virus protection will protect you from malware, money loss, time loss, invasion of your personal life. Now the antivirus market is so huge that it is difficult to make a choice in favor of one of them. If you have not decided who to give preference to, we suggest you familiarize yourself with our Top 5 Antivirus Software for Windows.