Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

USB Flash Virus

Apr 6, 2015 2:28AM PDT

My AVG couldn't catch some virus from USB flash drive.
The virus copies the real folder, creates a shortcut for it and hides this shortcut.
So you can only see infected folder, which is visible and seems like initial one, but is not initial.
Who faces this type of virus and what did you do to remove it?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Used to be a thing of the past. Why?
Apr 6, 2015 2:43AM PDT

As the bad folk discovered to use Autorun on USB and other media, Microsoft turned off the autorun feature. Some folk turn it back on and find these viruses or other things again.

Stock settings mean we have to help such viruses install. Is there more to this story?

As to why AVG doesn't catch it, what if it's just an autorun, batch file and autorun is enabled? No antivirus stops that!

To remove a virus we have to know more about it. As to autorun, you need to turn that off. Here's how:
https://www.google.com/#q=turn+off+usb+autoplay+windows+7
Bob

- Collapse -
Re:
Apr 21, 2015 9:11PM PDT

Thanks for your answer!

Already tried to turn off autorun feature, but that was not only autorun.inf.

Some other virus (or maybe the same one) create Recycle folder right on USB, and places itself here.

- Collapse -
Tried and failed?
Apr 22, 2015 12:47AM PDT
- Collapse -
RE
May 20, 2015 11:47PM PDT

I can't say, that completely lost control. This virus doesn't spread to other directories, since there's no more its source - infected USB flash drive.
But I still want to remove it from the directory it lives now. And preferably without formatting my c: Happy

- Collapse -
Sure.
May 21, 2015 12:22AM PDT
- Collapse -
Answer
Try more
Apr 9, 2015 4:32PM PDT

I think you should try some other viruses which more powerful or you should enhance your superscription for more support .

- Collapse -
Answer
Shortcut Virus
May 9, 2015 1:29AM PDT

That Shortcut Virus.

It hide folders and create shortcuts looks same as folders.
After that there is no way to access those folder.

I have a super solution for this Shortcut Virus.
This will remove the virus from your Flash Drive and will recover all hidden files folders.

Visit http://www.shortcutvirusremover.com.

Download Shortcut Virus Remover. 100% free application to remove this crap.

- Collapse -
RE
May 20, 2015 11:48PM PDT

Thanks, I'll probably should try.
Nothing else helps (