Hello Michael. Sorry to hear about the inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, it is not possible to recover the files from encryption. And it is true that the chances of removing this ransomware even if you pay are less. I would recommend you to restore your PC to factory settings.
I have a pc infected with the CryptoWall 3 virus. All my documents and pictures have been encrypted after opening a small .zip email attachment from a Russian email address
From my research it seems I can forget ever getting the files back. There is a remote possibility I may be able to decrypt them if I am prepared to pay US $1000 via Bitcoin, but that is both risky and chances of recovery are probably very small.
My real questions revolve around why this ransomware is still circulating freely after first appearing in 2014, mabe even earlier. My antivirus program did not pick up anything. Second I want to know, are there removal tools that will reliably remove this attack or render it harmless, or will I need to format the hard drive and reload everything?
Hello Michael. Sorry to hear about the inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, it is not possible to recover the files from encryption. And it is true that the chances of removing this ransomware even if you pay are less. I would recommend you to restore your PC to factory settings.