WHAT IS A SHORTCUT VIRUS?
There’s no wiki definition as such; but, as the name suggests, a shortcut virus is a virus (a malware) that hides your original files inside shortcuts.
The way it hides the file remains unknown though the effect is quite visible. The original files are there on the drive itself, but in such a position that you can’t recognise it nor take it out (in the advanced stage).
Initially, it doesn’t harm your files but later on, it may make them corrupt or even delete all the files; depends on the type of shortcut virus.
Therefore, removing the shortcut virus is essential for getting your files back.
Fact
As long as the virus stays or connects to new devices, it starts multiplying itself and spreads across every connected device!
FROM WHERE DID THE SHORTCUT VIRUS CAME?
Have you ever wondered from where did the shortcut virus land up in your Removable Drive or PC?
Here are the possible reasons because of which your Disk is suffering from shortcut virus:
- You downloaded an executable (.exe) file from untrusted third-party software which had the virus.
- You connected someone’s malicious USB Stick which spread the virus in your PC from where it entered your USB on connecting it.
- You connected your Removable Drive into someone’s PC which contained the shortcut virus from which it spread over to your drive.
TYPES OF SHORTCUT VIRUS
Depending on its effects, it can be broadly classified into 3 types:
- Drive Shortcut Virus
- Folder Shortcut Virus
- File Shortcut Virus
Let’s dive a little deeper into what each one means and what level of damage can it exactly do.
DRIVE SHORTCUT VIRUS
As the name suggests, Drive Shortcut virus creates a shortcut of the whole removable drive. This not only limits to Flash Drives or USB Drives but can also affect External as well as Internal Hard Disks also.
This type of virus is purely trojan where after entering into your Removable Drive, starts overtaking your files, grouping them and finally making shortcuts of your flash drive.
After the virus does its work, the only option you’re left with is, double click over through that shortcut to open the contents of that drive, and at that time, the malware executes, which can do anything (according to the way the malware is coded) like spying on your PC and browsers, steal passwords or just about anything.
FOLDER SHORTCUT VIRUS
Self-explanatory, folder shortcut virus creates shortcuts of folders and wraps its contents (files) altogether.
Less effective, but can still spread itself after executing to a number of other folders from where it can spy over on activities, upload data from that specific folder or do anything within the folder.
FILE SHORTCUT VIRUS
A virus that makes shortcuts of program files.
While this type of virus is the least effective, it can do more of damage when it attacks an important software’s execution file (.exe). On getting executed, this virus can also do just about anything inside the scope of that software. It also rapidly multiplies itself once it’s executed.
The way all these viruses work and affect is different.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE TO STOP SHORTCUT VIRUS FROM SPREADING FURTHER IN THE FIRST PLACE
I already told you about taking the quick preventive measure as soon as you spot it, right?
So, what exactly do you need to do?
You shall first protect the infected drive from spreading furthermore.
To do that, follow these steps:
- Stop autoplay of removable drives. This guide from Redmond Pie will help you to quickly disable autoplay of external drives.
- And when you want to open and get the contents of your USB Drive, don’t double click and open it, that will execute the virus. Instead, Right Click on the drive, click Explore. This way, the shortcut virus won’t execute.
STEPS TO REMOVE SHORTCUT VIRUS USING WINRAR:
- Open WINRAR application
- From inside WinRAR interface, move on to your infected drive. Inside it, you’ll find all your files safe and clearly visible.
- Select them all, right click-> Add Files to Archive and choose a name like USB Drive Backup.rar (or anything you like). With this, you’ve created an archive of all the files inside the infected drive.
- Open My Computer -> open your infected drive. You’ll find your created archive there. Right click on it -> Cut. Paste it somewhere safe in your hard disk drive.
- Open My Computer, Right-click on your infected drive-> Format. Choose Quick Format option and Start. After the format is over, just extract the backed up .rar file back into the removable drive.
REMOVING SHORTCUT VIRUS USING CMD
Shortcut Viruses once entered in your PC, is then difficult to remove. It may inject into any of the files and create shortcuts.
It’s better not to completely rely on a single method to remove it. Can’t say, if it goes for a temporary period and jumps in again!
So, here’s another way to do it: Removing Shortcut Virus using CMD.
CMD, an acronym for Command Prompt, is a command-line interpreter for Windows. It’s a sort of compiler which processes your commands giving you an output (in this case, it is finding out and cleaning shortcut virus).
STEPS TO REMOVE SHORTCUT VIRUS USING CMD:
- Plug your USB drive in PC.
- Open Start Menu-> Run. (Alternatively, Win + R key combination). In the run dialog box, type cmd.
- Copy the below code and paste it into CMD:
ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D G:\*.*
Note
Change the G letter of the code to your Pen Drive’s letter. G was just an assumption (for the above example.)
The explanation of the above code:
- Attrib specifies the attribute (as you might have guessed it)
- -H is to unhide all the files on Flash Drive (which were hidden as shortcuts due to the virus)
- -R is to create the files in your Pen Drive (recreate the shortcut files retrieving the original contents)
- -S makes all the file on your USB drive not to be the part of system again (which makes it easy to do the process)
- G is the Assumed USB Drive’s Letter (you’ll have to change it according to your Pen Drive / External HDD drive’s letter)
