Dealing with a .nobu File Extension Nightmare: Seeking Help

Recently, a troubling incident occurred with my teacher’s laptop that has left both of us in a state of concern. After downloading several PDFs, his machine became inundated with numerous non-genuine programs appearing in the task manager. To make matters worse, all of his files have been inexplicably transformed to carry the “.nobu” file extension.

Initial Steps Taken

To address this alarming situation, I ran Malwarebytes in hopes of identifying and eliminating any malicious software. Unfortunately, my teacher does not have a backup of his files, and restoring the system to a previous point is not an option. This has led me to seek assistance in finding a solution to remove the unwanted .nobu extension from his files. Any guidance on this matter would be immensely appreciated—I’m even willing to provide screenshots if necessary.

The Stakes Are High

What complicates matters further is that some of the most critical files affected are Eagle files, which my teacher uses for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs). The ransomware not only encrypted these files but also rendered the associated design program unusable, making recovery even more urgent.

Updates on the Situation

In my attempts to recover the files, I discovered that the encryption may be tied to an online key. I also tried using Emsisoft’s decryption tool, but it was ineffective.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has shown interest and offered support in this challenging time. My teacher, who has a background in electronics and works in an IT firm, was quite impressed by the outpouring of responses to my post. He typically teaches as a side gig and relies heavily on this laptop for his PCB design work, C programming, and Arduino projects.

Visual Evidence

For those interested in understanding the situation further, I’ve attached a couple of images taken from my phone, as standard screenshots were not functioning:

Before considering formatting the device, I am determined to explore all possible decryption software options. Any suggestions or recommendations from the community would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your assistance!