How to Remove Virus Shortcuts and Recover Files from USB Drives or Hard Disks in Windows 7

Users often encounter a situation where a virus creates shortcuts on their USB drives or hard disks, making these devices appear suspicious or even infected when connected to other devices. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to remove these virus shortcuts and recover your files in Windows 7.

Identifying and Understanding the Problem

When you insert a USB drive or hard disk into your Windows 7 laptop, a shortcut is sometimes created to hide the actual files. This can result in the device appearing completely fine on your computer but infected when connected to other devices. Here’s how you can identify and remove the virus.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Disable Autorun

Disabling Autorun can prevent the virus from causing shortcuts to be automatically created.

Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows R. Type and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Autoplay Policies. Double-click on Turn off Autoplay and set it to Enabled. Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.

Step 2: Scan the Drive

Use your antivirus software to scan the drive.

Install or update your antivirus software and perform a full scan of the infected pen drive or hard disk. If you have Windows Defender available, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Defender. - Go to Scan and select Full Scan. - Choose the drive letter of your pen drive or hard disk to scan.

Step 3: Remove Shortcuts

Use the Command Prompt to remove the shortcuts.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Type the following command to change to the drive letter of your pen drive, replacing X: with your drive letter: cd X:. To show hidden files and folders, type attrib -h -r -s /s /d .. This command will remove the hidden, read-only, and system attributes from all files and folders, making them visible.

Step 4: Manually Delete Shortcuts

After running the above command, check your drive for any .lnk files, these are the shortcut files.

Manually delete any suspicious shortcut files, but be careful not to delete any files you need.

Step 5: Recover Your Files if Necessary

If your files are still missing, you may need to use file recovery software. Some popular options include Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, or Disk Drill.

Step 6: Format the Drive if Necessary

If the infection persists or if you cannot recover your files, formatting the drive may be the best option. However, this will erase all data on the drive.

Right-click on the drive in My Computer and select Format. Choose the file system usually NTFS or FAT32 and click Start.

Step 7: Prevent Future Infections

Always keep your antivirus software updated.

Avoid using untrusted USB drives. Regularly back up your important files.

By following these steps, you should be able to remove the virus and recover access to your files. If you continue to experience issues, consider seeking professional help.