Jigsaw ransomware affected file
File type: Ransomware encrypted file
A payms file is a file encrypted by Jigsaw ransomware. The ransomware appends the payms file extension to affected files.
File type category:
Ransomware encrypted file
Date updated: October 5, 2026
The payms file extension does not identify a normal file format. It marks a file whose contents have been encrypted by a Jigsaw ransomware variant, making the original content inaccessible in its affected state.
Jigsaw ransomware demands payment in Bitcoin in exchange for recovery of the encrypted files. The files remain associated with the payms extension until they are decrypted or restored from an unaffected backup. The extension is used for ransomware-affected files rather than files created by an ordinary application.
A payms file cannot normally be opened by the application that created the original file. On Microsoft Windows, use the Jigsaw Ransomware Decryptor by Michael Gillespie to attempt to decrypt the affected files.
After successful decryption, open the recovered files with the programs that support their original formats.
A payms file cannot be meaningfully converted while it remains encrypted. First use the Jigsaw Ransomware Decryptor on Microsoft Windows or restore the original files from an unaffected backup. The recovered files can then be converted using software that supports their original formats.
Software apps that recover payms files:
Microsoft Windows
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