Vanilla Reload virus - How to remove

Vanilla Reload virus is listed as a ransomware. Once it infects your computer, your desktop will be locked and in order to unlock it you will be asked to pay a ransom. As FBI ransomware virus, Vanilla Reload ransomware presents itself as a law enforcement agency as well. They try to create an image of an official authority and get people scared. It’s even more advanced than FBI ransomware (though not so common) because it can change its’ appearance according to the infected computer’s location.

The problem is that it is almost impossible to notice this ransomware until it’s too late and your computer is already locked (unless you scan your system regularly). It is distributed mostly bundled with other free software that can be downloaded from the Internet. It can also enter your computer via spammy emails or some security holes in your operating system. If you question how to avoid getting infected with this ransomware, the best advice is to limit yourself from downloading any software from unreliable sources as it is the most common distribution method of Vanilla Reload virus.

This ransomware virus usually changes some of your system’s registry entries, therefore you are no longer able to use your PC and instead of your desktop or your usual work space you will be seeing a warning message that usually looks something like this:

“All activities of this computer has been recorded. All your files are encrypted. Don’t try to unlock your computer! This PC is blocked due to at Least one of the specified below.
The work of your computer has been suspended on the grounds of the violation of the law of the United States of America.
To unlock your computer and avoid other legal consequences, you are obligated to pay a release fee of $100.”

As you can see, you are being accused of violating some laws (like watching pornography or downloading some copyrighted content) and in order to remove these charges you need to pay a fine of a $100. Even if you have downloaded something copyrighted illegally or done other activities that are semi-legal, do not pay mentioned ransom because there is no point in doing that. It is not some law enforcement agency notice, it’s just scammers’ message. They are criminals themselves and they can’t blame you for anything. Even if a 100 dollars looks like a reasonable price to pay for your computer to be unlocked and you do not have time or patience to search for other solutions and just want to unlock your PC, you should not pay a requested ransom. First of all, there are no guarantees that your system will be unlocked after you pay that $100 and secondly, you will not remove this ransomware virus from your computer, that means your PC will be still vulnerable and this may happen again, or some of your private information could be leaked. It will not solve your problem, it’s just like spraying some air freshener to the smelly refrigerator instead of removing outdated food.

As you can see in the picture, Vanilla Reload virus requests a ransom to be paid using MoneyPak payment network. It’s because it is almost impossible to refund your money from this payment system and it is harder to track hackers by the trace of the money, for instance, if you made the payment with PayPal.

If your computer is infected with Vanilla Reload ransomware virus, you should take needed actions to get rid of it right now. Probably you will not be able to manage it manually on your own. For that reason, it would be the best to scan your PC using one of the most trustworthy anti-malware programs, such as Spyhunter, Malwarebytes or StopZilla. As your computer is locked, you will need to perform some advanced  steps to even use an anti-malware software. To find out how to perform this, please read the information given below.

How to get rid of Vanilla Reload ransomware virus

1. Restart your computer, press F8 while it is restarting.
2. Choose safe mode with networking.
3. Launch MSConfig.
4. Disable startup items rundll32 turning on any application from Application Data.
5. Restart your computer again.
6. Scan with https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/spyhunter-i.exe to find the file and remove it. Here is a video guide, showing how to do all the steps:

If you cannot use Safe Mode, try rebooting into safe mode with command prompt. Here is a tutorial how to delete Vanilla Reload virus using this approach:

1. Reboot into safe mode with command prompt. Vanilla Reload virus should not be launched this time.
2. Run regedit. Search for Winlogon.
3. There will be a key labeled Shell under Winlogon. It should refer to Explorer.exe or be blank. If there is something else referring an executable in one of users folders, replace it with explorer.exe.
4. Save changes, reboot to safe mode with networking.
5. Run msconfig and disable all unnecessary startup entries. You should be able to reboot normally.
6. Install and run https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/spyhunter-i.exe. Scan with it the PC and delete Vanilla Reload virus executables it finds.

Here is a video guide illustrating this virus removal method:

Note, that even if each safe mode is blocked and you can not access other user account and run Anti-Malware program scan from there, there is still a chance to clean the PC from this infection. We recommend either using Bootable antivirus CD/USB disk and scanning with it or calling +1-888-334-2444 (USA / CA ) for help.

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