What is a .CADQ file?
A .CADQ file is a type of file that has been locked and changed by a harmful computer program called Cadq ransomware. This bad program is made and spread by people who want to cause trouble on the internet. When a file gets hit by this ransomware, it could be any normal file like a Word document (.DOCX) or a picture (.JPG) that you can't open anymore because it has been scrambled and its name has been changed to end with .CADQ.
Unfortunately, once your file turns into a .CADQ file, it's very hard, and often impossible, to get it back to normal. This means you can't open or use the file like before.
There is a special tool called Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP Djvu that tries to help with files affected by this kind of ransomware, but it's important to know that not all files can be saved.
The problem with .CADQ files started around February 2021 when people noticed their computer files were being locked up and renamed with the .cadq ending. This was because of the STOP ransomware, which is known for causing a lot of trouble by locking files. STOP ransomware has different versions that rename files with endings like .STOP, .djvu, .rumba, .radman, or .gero.
You might wonder how this bad ransomware got onto your computer. It often hides in "free programs" that you can download from the internet. These programs look like they're giving you something for free, but they're actually tricks to make you accidentally install the ransomware on your computer.
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