GCNl Virus [.GCNl] Ransomware Removal & Decrypt Files

GCNl is a nasty malware infection that encrypts files on the targeted computer. This threat has been deemed as a ransomware virus because it demands ransom money to give decryption keys. It is the latest found variant of the Spora ransomware.

It encrypts files by appending unique ID, cyber criminals’ email address, and the “.GCNl” extension to original filenames. For example, a file named “myphoto.jpg” will be changed into “myphoto.jpg[ID=spi4sB-Mail=FilesRecoverEN@Gmail.com].GCNl”. This is a locked file and cannot be accessed without the decryption key.

Once the encryption of all the files is done, ransom notes – “ReadMe_Now!.hta” (pop-up window) and “Read_Me!_.txt” are created on the computer. Notes contain the ransom demand and further details to purchase decryption key. Read this guide to know how to remove this virus and restore files.

What is GCNl Ransomware?

GCNl is a dangerous threat that secretly infiltrates your PC and encrypts your files. It uses a powerful encryption algorithm to render all your files inaccessible. Some changes in the extension of the file are also made as mentioned above. A ransom note is also left on the system after encryption.

The ransom note clearly instructs victims to communicate with cybercriminals to buy decryption tools. If victims choose not to pay the ransom money, then their files will remain locked and can also be leaked online. GCNl virus is a serious threat that can also turn the targeted computer useless in some time.

What you can do?

In most cases, it is impossible to regain access to locked files without a decryption key. It means victims are forced to contact the makers of the virus to purchase the decoder. But it can open doors to even more serious problems. Decryption tools often leave Trojan horses to steal the personal and financial details of users.

Cases of fraud and decryption tools not working have also been found very often. Cybercriminals stop answering emails once they get paid. They always demand ransom money through cryptocurrency which cannot be traced. So it could be highly risky to pay ransom money to get your files back.

Removing GCNl virus can prevent further encryption of your data and damage to your PC. Unfortunately, the removal of this threat will not bring your files back. However, if you have any backup of your files then you can recover all your files.

GCNl Ransomware: Threat Analysis

Name	GCNl
Type	Ransomware, File-Encrypting virus
Extension	.GCNl
Threat Level	High (Encrypt all your data and Restrict access to your files).
Symptoms	Victims cannot access any files on their PC and find Ransom notes asking for money.
Damage	GCNl will  encrypt your data by adding its extension to file names and demand ransom money for the decryption key
Distribution	It is mainly distributed through spam emails, bundled freeware, porn, or torrent sites.
Removal	Download SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware
File Recovery	Download Data Recovery Software

How did your PC get infected?

GCNl Ransomware mostly intrudes on your computer through spam emails. Such deceptive emails carry malicious files or links. Downloading those attachments or clicking on links can instantly trigger the download of a virus.

Threats like GCNl virus can also spread through other channels like bundled freeware programs, software cracks, or illegal patches and updates. Visiting porn or torrent sites can also bring unwanted malware to the computer. Using pirated copies of the software will make your system vulnerable forever. It creates a backdoor on your system which can access by any virus. 

DO NOT Pay Ransom Under any Circumstances

Creators of this awful GCNl Ransomware are only interested in cheating your money. Do not make any contact with cybercriminals. Please do not incentivize their malicious and illegal activities.

It is highly unlikely that creators of .GCNl Virus File will restore your files after getting paid. It is important to have good anti-malware to remove this threat. Keep a backup of all your important files to avoid similar issues in the future.

As your PC is already infected with GCNl virus, take immediate steps to remove it completely. Use professional data recovery tools to restore your encrypted files. If you pay cybercriminals, they can attack your system again for more money.

Ransom note “Read_Me!_.txt” contains the following instructions :

All Your Files Have Been Encrypted !

All Your Files Encrypted Due To A Security Problem With Your PC (With Strongest Encryption Algorithm). If You Really Need Your Files Please Send Us E-mail To Get Decryption Tools .
The Only Way Of Recovering Files Is To Purchase For Decryption Tools ( Payment Must Be Made With Bitcoin ) . If You Do Not E-mail Us After 48 Hours Decryption Fee Will Double.
If You Do Not E-mail Us And Do Not Need Your Files After A whlie Automatically Our Servers Will Delete Your Decrypion Keys From Servers !
Our E-mail Address : FilesRecoverEN@Gmail.com
Your Personal ID : -
Sent E-mail Should Be Contains Your Personal ID.If Don't Get a Response Or Any Other Problem Write Us E-mail At : FilesRecoverEN@Onionmail.org
Check Your Spam Folder Too.

What Guarantee Do We Give You ?
You Can (Must) Send Some Files For Decryption Test( Before Paying ). File Size Must Be Less Than 2MB And Files Should Not Contains Valuabe Data Like (Backups , Databases etc ... ) .

How To Buy Bitcoins
Get Buy Bitcoin Instructions At LocalBitcoins :
hxxps://localbitcoins.com/guides/how-to-buy-bitcoins
Buy Bitcoin Instructions At Coindesk And Other Websites By Searching At Google :
hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/

Attention !!
Do Not Edit Or Rename Encrypted Files.
Do Not Try To Decrypt Files By Third-Party Or Data Recovery Softwares It May Damage Files Forever.
In Case Of Trying To Decrypt Files With Third-Party,Recovery Sofwares This May Make The Decryption Harder So Prices Will Be Rise.

How To Remove GCNl Virus

GCNl File Virus is a dangerous malware that can cause major damage to your computer. This nasty threat will bring several new problems on your PC. This is why it is quite imperative to delete this threat permanently before it completely damages your entire computer system. Once it manages to infiltrate your system, it will make your system vulnerable. This nasty malware is capable of bringing other harmful viruses on your system without your consent. It can completely obliterate your system performance in no time. This virus also has tendency to hide its malicious copies at various locations on your PC under different names. It is not an easy job to find and remove those virus related files manually.

In this guide, you will find instructions for two very different techniques to get rid of GCNl Virus infection . The first one is the Automatic Removal which is quite fast, effective and accurate. The second method is Manual Removal which usually takes lots of time, needs technical expertise, and often fails to give desired results. However, it is advised to take help of both techniques to ensure complete removal of the malware from your system. In case you are not handy with system operations and techincal stuff, just opt for the automatic malware removal process to eliminate GCNl Ransomware.

Automatic GCNl Virus Removal Guide

As you already know that, GCNl Virus is a notorious and cunning malware. It is quite hard to remove through manual means. This virus can create various files and shortcuts or modify system settings. It can keep coming back on your computer using them. Removing all those at once is the only way to get rid of this infection. It will also ensure that this virus cannot sneak into your system ever again.

Remove GCNl virus effectively with a powerful Automatic Removal Tool. It will save you lots of time and effort. It can detect and remove all hidden threats like Trojan, Ransomware, Worms, Spyware, Rootkits, etc. You will also get 24X7 customer support and one-on-one Spyware HelpDesk support. Advanced System Guard feature detects and removes threats in real-time. It has a very User-Friendly Interface and regular Malware updates make it most effective against the latest malware attacks.

How SpyHunter 5 Anti-Malware Works

• First, you need to click on the below download button to get the software.

Geek’s Recommendation

Some time threats like GCNl Virus keep getting back on the machine if all associated files are not removed. You should use a powerful Malware Removal Tool to run a thorough scan of your PC and delete all threats at once.

Compatible with: Windows 11/10/8/7 (32 Bit and 64 Bit)

• Then double-click on the installer you downloaded to install the program.

• Launch Anti-Malware application and Start Scan Now of your PC.

• The software will scan your PC for all hidden threats and viruses on your system.

• Click on the Next button to see results and delete GCNl and other threats.

How To Recover .GCNl Files

After removing .GCNl Virus, you need to recover your data. If your files are important then you must have created a backup. If yes, then you can use that backup to recover your files. In case you don’t have a backup or this virus has encrypted your backup files, then you are left to seek professional help.

At this point, there is no GCNl ransomware decryption tool available. We recommend you use powerful data recovery software to decrypt .GCNl Files. It is a risk-free and smart way. You can just download the free version and scan your PC for files. There is a high probability that it can recover most of your files. It is also needless to say that paying the ransom will only motivate cybercriminals to carry out more attacks.

• First, you need to download Data Recovery software on your PC.

Download Data Recovery Software

• Install the program, launch it then select the Data type to recover, and click the Next button.

• Select the location from where you want to recover data and click the Scan button.

• After the scan, software will list all files, select them and click the Recover button.

Manual GCNl Removal Guide

Start PC in safe mode with networking

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• Press Windows & I keys together on keyboard to open Settings page and select Recovery option.

• Now from the Advance settings option, click on Restart Now button.

• Select the Troubleshoot option from the list.

• Click on Advanced Options from the Troubleshoot menu.

• Now click on Startup Settings from the Advanced options.

• Click on the Restart button on this page now.

• Finally, press button 5 to start your PC in Safe Mode.

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• Click on the Start button and then press the Power button.

• Now hold the Shift key and then click the Restart option.

• Select the Troubleshoot option from the list.

• Click on Advanced Options from the Troubleshoot menu.

• Now click on Startup Settings from the Advanced options.

• Click on the Restart button on this page now.

• Finally, press button 5 to start your PC in Safe Mode.

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• Press Windows & C buttons on your keyboard then click on the Settings option.

• Hold down the Shift key then click on the Restart button from the Power option.

• Select the Troubleshoot option from the list.

• Click on Advanced Options from the Troubleshoot menu.

• Now click on Startup Settings from the Advanced options.

• Click on the Restart button on this page now.

• Finally, press button 5 to start your PC in Safe Mode.

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• Click on the Restart button then wait for Windows to load and start pressing F8 button before the Windows splash screen shows.

• Soon you will see the Advanced Boot option on your screen. Use arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking option.

• Finally, press the ENTER button to load your Windows in safe mode.

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• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
• Type msconfig in the Run Box then click the OK button.
• Click on the Boot tab then the System configuration window will appear.
• Choose Safe Boot, check the network box, Click Apply, and press the OK button.

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End Process From Task Manager

• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
• Type taskmgr in Run Box and then click the OK button.
• Find any GCNl Virus related process.
• Now right-click on it then click End process.

Uninstall GCNl from Windows PC

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• Right-click on Start or Windows button and select Apps and Features option.

• Find GCNl or other harmful programs, click on three dots icon, and press Uninstall button.

[/mks_tab_item] [mks_tab_item title=”Windows 10″]

• Click on the Start or Windows button and click on Settings option.

• Click on the Apps option from Windows 10 settings page.

• Find GCNl or other harmful programs, then click on Uninstall option.

[/mks_tab_item] [mks_tab_item title=”Windows 8″]

• First of all Press Windows Key + R buttons together.

• Type appwiz.cpl in the Run Box and then click OK button to open Programs and Features windows.

• Find and remove GCNl or other harmful programs.

[/mks_tab_item] [mks_tab_item title=”Windows 7″]

• Click on the Start or Windows button and select Control Panel option.

• Click on Uninstall A Program option under the Programs section.

• Find GCNl or other harmful programs and click on uninstall option.

[/mks_tab_item] [/mks_tabs]

Remove Virus related IP address from Hosts Files

• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
• Type C:Windows/System32/drivers/etc in Run Box and then click the OK button.
• Now open the hosts file with Notepad.
• Look for any suspicious IP address that might be related to GCNl Virus.
• Delete all the unknown IP addresses and save the host files.

Remove Virus related Windows Registry entries

• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
• Type regedit in Run Box and then click the OK button.
• Registry Editor will open, then press CTRL +F buttons together.
• Now type GCNl and then click on Find Next button.
• Find all the related entries and delete them one by one

Delete Virus related files from your PC

When a threat gets on to a PC, it most likely creates some files at different locations on the system. These files are used to perform a specific action and also help malware in getting back to the computer once it’s removed. So you just need to find also delete all those files associated with this .GCNl File Virus. For that follow the below instruction :

• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard
• Type each of the following in Run Box and press the OK button

1. %AppData%
2. %LocalAppData%
3. %ProgramData%
4. %WinDir%
5. %Temp%

For the first four options, look for any recent folder related to the .GCNl File Virus and remove them. For the Temp folder, you can delete all the files.

Remove GCNl Virus via system restore

• Press Windows Key + R buttons together on the keyboard.
• Type cmd in Run Box and then click the OK button.
• Type cd restore and press Enter, then type rstrui.exe and press Enter.
• When the System Restore window opens on your computer screen click the Next button, then choose a System Restore point you have created in the past and click the Next button.
• Finally, click on the Yes button to start the system restoration process.

Note: This will only work if you have a restore point set on your PC or it will give an error message. Restoring the computer to a previous version may or may not remove .GCNl File Virus. Most of the time, viruses just delete all the restore points. If this trick does not work for you then don’t get disappointed.

After restoring your computer, we recommend you run a thorough scan of the PC using a Powerful Anti-Malware program to detect and remove any hidden threats. In most cases, viruses may spread through any files outside of the C drive because system restoring only affect the C drive. There may be some Virus related files hiding your PC, and it never hurts to double-check.

Sometimes, system restore doesn’t work or viruses can just remove the restore points. As such you will probably have no other choice than to choose the Automatic Removal Process. It is the best and error-free method to find and remove threats from your computer. Additionally, you should also check some important malware prevention tips provided here in this guide to avoid similar virus attacks in the future.

Tips To Prevent .GCNl Virus in Future

• Use a good anti-virus, be it a free version but don’t use cracked security programs.
• Make sure that your Windows firewall is active, so it can block upcoming threats.
• Keep your Windows/Mac OS and other programs updated to avoid vulnerabilities.
• Download updates only from official websites, don’t use suspicious sites.
• Never download and install pirated software, games, or illegal patches on your PC.
• Do not open spam emails from an unknown sender and scan all attachments before opening.
• Never download freeware third-party programs from unreliable sources or websites.
• Avoid connecting your PC to unsafe public Wi-Fi to protect your privacy.
• You can also use a VPN to spoof your connection and avoid harmful sites.
• Create a system restore point on your system for security purposes.
• Keep a backup of all your important files to avoid data loss.