Ransom.Win32.POTTIEQ.A

To restart in Safe Mode:

• For Windows 2000 users

1. Restart your computer.
2. Press F8 when you see the Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen.
3. Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.

• For Windows XP users

1. Restart your computer.
2. Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting then pressing F8 several times when the POST screen appears.
3. Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.

• For Windows Server 2003 users

1. Restart your computer.
2. Press F8 after Windows starts up. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting again and pressing F8 several times afterward.
3. On the Windows Advanced Option menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode then press Enter.

• For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 users

1. Restart your computer.
2. Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Advanced Boot Options menu does not appear, try restarting and then pressing F8 several times after the POST screen is displayed.
3. On the Advanced Boot Options menu, use the arrow keys to select the Safe Mode option, and then press Enter.

• For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 users

1. Access the Charms bar by moving your mouse pointer to the upper right corner of the screen.
2. Move your mouse pointer down and click Settings>Change your PC Settings.
3. In the left panel, click General.
4. In the right panel, scroll down to the bottom to find the Advanced startup section, then click the Restart now button and wait for the system to restart.
5. In the Advanced Startup menu, click Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Startup Settings>Restart and wait for the system to restart.
6. In the Startup Settings menu, press 4 to enable safe mode.

To delete the registry value this malware created:

1. Open Registry Editor. To do this:
   » For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 users, click Start>Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter.
   » For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 users, click the Start button, type regedit in the Search input field then press Enter.
   » For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 users, right-click on the lower left corner of the screen, click Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter.
2. In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run
3. In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
   {GUID} = "%User Startup%\{GUID}.exe"
4. In the left panel of the Registry Editor window, double-click the following:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Control Panel>Desktop
5. In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
   {Default} = "%User Startup%\{GUID}.bmp"
6. Close Registry Editor.

To manually delete a malware/grayware file from an affected system:

• For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003:

1. Right-click Start then click Search....
2. In the File name* input box, type the following:
   
   • %User Startup%\{GUID}.bmp
   • %User Startup%\{GUID}.exe
3. In the Look In drop-down list, select My Computer then press Enter.
4. Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
   *Note: The file name input box title varies depending on the Windows version (e.g. Search for files or folders named or All or part of the file name.).

• For Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
   • For Windows Vista, 7, and Server 2008 users, click Start>Computer.
   • For Windows 8, 8.1, and Server 2012 users, right-click on the lower left corner of the screen, then click File Explorer.
2. In the Search Computer/This PC input box, type:
   
   • %User Startup%\{GUID}.bmp
   • %User Startup%\{GUID}.exe
3. Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
   *Note: Read the following Microsoft page if these steps do not work on Windows 7.

To restore your wallpaper:

1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Display option and click the Background tab.
3. Click the Browse button to select your preferred wallpaper or select an image from the Windows built-in wallpapers.
4. Choose OK to apply the changes.