Potato ransomware-affected file
File type: Ransomware encrypted file
Files with the .potato file extension are almost always files encrypted and renamed by the Potato ransomware.
The extension identifies an affected file whose original contents are inaccessible until the file is successfully decrypted.
File type category:
Ransomware encrypted file
Date updated: October 16, 2026
The .potato file extension is associated with Potato, a ransomware strain reported in late January 2017. The ransomware uses this suffix when it encrypts and renames victims' files.
A .potato file is an encrypted version of an original file, not a separate document format with its own applications. The file cannot be used normally until it has been successfully decrypted.
No ordinary program can open a .potato file as its original document. A decryptor specific to the Potato ransomware is required, but no reliable decryptor is currently known for these files.
A .potato file cannot be converted directly because its contents are encrypted. The original file must first be successfully decrypted; it can then be opened or converted with software that supports its original format.
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