Top 5 Ways to Recover Data from USB Shortcut Virus
USB or pen drives are one of the most distinguished and suitable ways to store and transfer data. However, they are also vulnerable to various malware and viruses. USB shortcut virus is one such malware that causes huge data loss and disrupts the functioning of USB devices. In this blog post, we will explain what a USB shortcut virus is, how it works, and most importantly, how to recover data from USB shortcut virus. Whether you are a tech novice or an expert, this guide will provide you with simple and practical steps to protect and recover your files.
What is a Shortcut Virus?
Shortcut viruses are malicious programs that hide your files and folders and replace them with shortcuts. This type of virus mainly attacks removable storage devices such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, etc.
However, this virus is very dangerous and can avoid detection by antivirus software. So, when an infected device is connected to your computer, it also affects your computer. When you open an infected file on your computer, the virus can be exposed to other programs and then spread to the operating system. Additionally, shortcut viruses can spread through website downloads and email attachments.
Read More: Recover Deleted Files From USB Drive After Format
Where do these Shortcut Viruses Come from?
Last but not least, it is also important to know where these viruses come from. So that you can be aware of the origin of this virus so that you can avoid it next time.
A USB shortcut virus can originate from one of the following sources:
- USB Drive: If you transfer a file from an infected flash drive to an uninfected one, there is a good possibility that the virus will also be transferred to the uninfected drive.
- Computer or Laptop: If you insert a USB drive into an infected PC, the drive may get infected with a shortcut virus.
- Internet- It is never a good idea to save data from dubious websites to your hard drive. Always run any items you download through reputable antivirus software.
Signs of an Infected USB Drive
- Shortcuts Instead of Files: When you open a USB drive, you will see many shortcuts instead of the original files and folders.
- Unusual File Names: Shortcut files may have strange or random names and may not be easy to recognize.
- Hidden Files: You may notice that their original files are still present on the drive, but they are hidden.
- Inaccessible Files: Trying to open a file or shortcut may result in an error or the file may not open at all.
- Pop-up Windows: You may see a pop-up window or warning that your USB drive is infected with a virus. How a USB shortcut virus affects your files
How the USB Shortcut Virus Affects Your Files?
When a USB shortcut virus infects a flash drive, it can reason damage in several ways:
- Hidden Data: The virus secrete the original file and displays a shortcut that points to it.
- Shortcuts are Not Possible: If you Use to open the shortcut, you may receive an error message that makes the original file inaccessible.
- File Corruption: In few cases, the virus can damage or delete entire files, causing data loss.
- Spread to Another Devices: If you connect an infected USB drive to another computer, the virus can also spread and infect that device.
Despite this Problem, it is important to note that data is not always lost. It is usually still on the drive, but it may be hidden or linked to a shortcut.
Stepwise Method to Recover Data from USB Shortcut Virus
If you suspect or suspicions that your USB or pen drive is infected with the shortcut virus, follow below simple steps to restore your data.
1. Stop Using the USB Drive Immediately
As soon as you attention the shortcut virus on your USB drive, avoid using it any further. Do not open any files or shortcuts as this may introduce viruses and complicate the recovery process. Disconnect the USB drive from your computer to prevent the spread of viruses to your system.
2. Enable Show Hidden Files
Before you can recover your files, you need to make sure hidden files are visible. The USB shortcut virus hides your original files, but they are still present on the drive. Here’s how to show hidden files:
3. Recover Data from Pen Drive Shortcut Virus with CMD
Command Prompt, abbreviated as CMD, works as a command-line interpreter. It can run many commands to change operating settings or fix problems with your computer. This method uses the attrib command to recover files from USB shortcut virus. You can use this solutions by following these steps:
- Connect the USB drive to your computer and press Win + R to open the Run window.
- Type cmd in the text box and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to run the command prompt as an administrator.
- Type the USB drive letter and press Enter. For example, if my USB drive letter is H, I need to type H:.
- Type del *.ink and press Enter to delete the shortcut file on the USB drive.
- Type the attrib -s -r -h *.* /s /d and click the Enter.
File attributes can be set with the atrib command to ensure the security of files on disk. After running all the commands, your files will be recovered, and you can check them on the disk.
Automatic Solution to Recover Data from USB Shortcut Virus
You can use the USB Drive Data Recovery, which is a completely safe and reliable data recovery solution, to recover files lost due to virus damage to shortcuts. This software allows you to recover unlimited files from damaged USB drives or internal or external hard drives.
This program will quickly restore files and folders to their original locations before they become infected with viruses. Just follow these quick and easy steps to recover any data lost, corrupted, or deleted due to a shortcut virus. It recover data from Pen drive shortcut virus that has been corrupted, erased, or formatted. This application can recover data from damaged USB drive in a variety of formats, including DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, PDF, JPEG, PNG, MP3, MP4, and and others.
Few Steps to Recover Virus Infected Files from USB Drive
Follow these steps to recover data from USB Shortcut Virus by understanding how to use the tool:
- Step 1: Download the tool on your system and navigate to the pen drive in the software interface.
- Step 2: Select the Scan or Formatted Scan option. Scan option to recover deleted files from USB after format
- Step 3: Following the scan, the tool will preview all of the data from the pen drive, including the deleted data.
- Step 4: To recover data from pen drive shortcut virus, choose the files you require and click Save to recover data pen drive.
Recover Data from USB Shortcut Virus Using File Explorer
After successfully recovering USB files, you need to consider how to prevent virus shortcuts from infecting your files again. This section provides various solutions to help you remove virus shortcuts from USB drives.
Fix 1: Format the with File Explorer
This is the easiest way to remove viruses. You can format a disk in several ways.
- Press Win+E to open File Explorer.
- Select the PC in the left pane and locate your USB drive.
- Right-click the USB pen drive and choose Format from the context menu.
- You have to select the correct file system, adjust the volume indicator, and check the Quick Format option.
- Press the “Start” Option to format the USB drive.
Fix 2: Delete Suspicious Registry Entries
You can remove virus shortcuts by deleting suspicious registry entries. But remember that the Windows registry is very important for the stable operation of your computer. Any incorrect changes can cause permanent damage to your computer. Therefore, before proceeding to the next step, you should backup your registry keys to avoid errors.
- Press the Windows + key and type Registry Editor in the search box.
- Pick the Enter key button to open Registry Editor window.
- Next, Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Run.
- You can check the subkeys in the right pane and remove the suspicious ones like oswcamszas, OUzzckky, etc.
- You can restart your computer for the changes to take full effect.
Wrapping Up
Shortcut virus becomes a pain for the users as they are neither able to see them or access them on the user’s USB. It becomes highly crucial for users to remove them and recover data from USB shortcut viruses that were deleted because of them. Thus, in this article, the methods to recover pen drive data from virus discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How do I remove the shortcut virus from my pen drive?
If you want to know how to recover shortcut files from USB flash drive and pen drives, follow these steps:
Q2: Does this tool support recovery of all file types?
Yes, software can recover all types of files. Moreover, the most amazing thing about this tool is that it works on all versions of the Windows operating system.
Q3: I noticed that all my files have been converted to shortcuts that I saved years ago. Can this software remove short-term viruses from my computer?
Yes, Shortcut virus removal software can help you remove the Shortcut virus and recover files from USB Shortcut virus to a healthy state.