: The only guaranteed way to recover your files is to restore them from a clean, offline backup or a cloud service like OneDrive, which offers a version history feature to revert files to their state before encryption.
: Use a combination of tools for a "second opinion" approach. Start with a full scan using Microsoft Defender . How to Remove Iron Protector Virus Completely From Your PC!
The "Iron Protector" (often identified as Iron or Iron Lock) is a sophisticated form of designed to encrypt user files and demand a payment, typically in Bitcoin. Removing the active infection is critical to preventing further data loss and system instability, although it is important to note that removal does not automatically decrypt already affected files. Understanding the Threat : The only guaranteed way to recover your
: Hold the Shift key while selecting Power > Restart . Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart , then press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking. The "Iron Protector" (often identified as Iron or
: Use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove temporary files, which can sometimes house the malware's initial installer and speed up subsequent scans.
: Highly rated tools like Malwarebytes or Avast One are effective at detecting and quarantining ransomware like Iron Lock.