Ok...so all of a sudden you can't view some of your files and folders.....then you start seeing shortcuts of some of your files and folders turning up on your jumpdrive......don't panic!! Do NOT freak out.....your files are NOT lost...THEY ARE JUST HIDDEN!!
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| Shortcut files created by virus.... |
There is a solution! Let me give you some useful information on what this virus does:
First of all, it hides the original files and folders on your thumbdrive and create a shortcut copies these files and folders.
First of all, it hides the original files and folders on your thumbdrive and create a shortcut copies these files and folders.
When I first discovered this virus I kept going into 'Folder options' to unhide these hidden files and folders, but what I noticed with this virus was that, not only does it hide these files, but it made them appear/ or gave them the attributes of a 'Protected Operating System File'.
If you know anything about a protected operating system file, then you would know that it is hidden by the system itself and just checking 'Show hidden files and folders' in folder options would not do a thing to them. Their attributes cannot be changed by a simple click of the mouse!
So.....since the root of the problem is identified, what needs to be done now is to figure out a way to convert these 'virus made' protected OS files and folders back to normal/original files and folders. This, I did successfully.....
TO GET RID OF THE SHORTCUT VIRUS ON YOUR FLASH DRIVE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW......
1. Open command prompt
>(Click Start -> Run -> type cmd-> Press Enter)
2. Type the following command:
>attrib –h -r -s /s /d F:\*.*
>‘F:’ would be any driveletter that your thumb drive is in
3. Press Enter, the scan should run for over a minute or so, just be patient….
4. Next step, open your thumb drive then delete all the shortcut files:
>right click in your thumbdrive folder
>Select ‘Sort by’ > 'Type'
>Highlight all shortcut files and folders and hit delete
5. Run a full system scan with your antivirus software as well as a scan on your jump drive.
6. You can also run the command on your Local drive: >attrib –h -r -s /s /d C:*.*
* * The virus may have created some files on your thumbdrive that need to be deleted, these may include:
- x (a ‘dummy’ video file)
- (folder files)
Hope this was helpful.....cheers!!!!
