Jigsaw ransomware affected file
File type: Ransomware encrypted file
Files with the .paymst suffix are usually encrypted archives affected by some later variants of Jigsaw ransomware.
File type category:
Ransomware encrypted file
Date updated: October 5, 2026
Jigsaw is ransomware that encrypts users' files and demands payment in bitcoins. The .paymst file extension is associated with files affected by some later Jigsaw ransomware variants.
The affected file retains encrypted data from the original file, but its contents cannot normally be used until the encryption has been removed. The extension belongs to the ransomware's file-renaming process rather than to a separate application format.
Jigsaw Ransomware Decryptor, developed by Michael Gillespie for Microsoft Windows, is associated with recovering files affected by Jigsaw.
A .paymst file cannot normally be opened by its original application because its contents are encrypted. On Microsoft Windows, use Jigsaw Ransomware Decryptor by Michael Gillespie to attempt recovery.
After successful decryption, open the recovered file with the application that supports its original file type.
A .paymst file cannot be sensibly converted while it remains encrypted. First use a compatible Jigsaw decryptor to recover the original file.
Once the original file has been recovered, it can be converted or exported using an application that supports that file's format.
Software apps that recover paymst files:
Microsoft Windows
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