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1. Disconnect that computer from the network immediately: unplug the cable and turn off Wi-Fi. Don't switch it off.
2. Don't connect backup drives or USB sticks to that computer.
3. Tell your colleagues not to open shared files until we've checked.
4. Take a photo of the screen showing the message.

Don't pay and don't contact whoever is demanding the ransom. This is an emergency: write to us or, if you're a client, call us straight away.

1. Don't click any other links or open attachments in that email, and don't reply.
2. If you entered your password somewhere, change it immediately from another device.
3. Check whether emails you didn't write have been sent from your mailbox.
4. Don't delete the email: we need it to work out where it came from.

If it's a business mailbox, let us know: we'll check sign-ins and hidden forwarding rules.

1. Look at the router lights: are they off, red or flashing differently from usual?
2. Switch the router off, wait 30 seconds and switch it back on. Give it two or three minutes.
3. Try from a phone on Wi-Fi and from one on mobile data: you'll see whether it's the line or a single device.
4. If the line is completely down, report the fault to your provider and keep the reference number.

If you have a backup line managed by us, it should kick in automatically: if it doesn't, contact us.

1. Try opening it from another device and another connection.
2. Don't try updates or changes by trial and error: they can wipe out the traces.
3. Note when it started and what changed beforehand (an update, a new plugin, an expired payment).

If we host the site, we have a copy from every night: contact us with the site address.

1. Save what you can and close any open programs.
2. Restart the computer. If it's installing updates, don't force it off: wait.
3. If an error message appears, take a photo of it.

If it happens often or on several computers, there's usually a single cause: a failing disk, too little memory, a program that starts up by itself. Our free check-up will tell you which.