How to remove shortcut virus from Pen Drive & PC

Over a period of time you may get your hands on a number of documents and data that hold importance to you. It can be a scanned copy of your certificates or even a collection of timeless music or memorable photographs, but at times these backup soft copies can be threatened by sudden virus attack.

Today I am going to tell you How to remove shortcut virus from Pen Drive & PC

So stroll with me to find the inside and out of shortcut virus and how you can tackle them for good.

Means to catch shortcut virus

I am not trying to take you on a journey to discover virus or their family tree, but being known to some common means of catching virus can prepare you to avert such situations in the future. There are two possible reasons that have been found to be the most common ones behind shortcut viruses.

Cause1. Third Party Software

Most of us especially students are used to downloading software and apps on a regular basis. In order to keep things running, we often entrust third party software providers and download their software or executable (.EXE) file formats. Such software is highly prone to be laced with viruses which in turn can accommodate itself in your pen drive, USB or memory card. I have once been a victim to the same possibility and ended up losing my favourite music collection, which I rue to this day.

Cause2. Absence of antivirus

Due to maintaining a regular online connectivity your system may support some external background programs, which in turn leave behind fragments of the virus. Being new or of untraceable quality, these viruses hide themselves in some farfetched corner of your system and turn active once you plug in an external storage device such as a pen drive. So it is highly advised to keep an updated antivirus in your system.

Tips and tools to remove shortcut virus from Pen Drive & PC

As you have already turned into a victim to one or more of the above stated possibilities, so let’s discuss some of the tools and methods with which you can have your pen drive back or maybe even recover lost Memory card from your PC.

AutorunExterminator

Before you use AutorunExterminator, you will be needed to check your pen drive for any hidden files. After your results are confirmed for no hidden files you can start the recovery process. The following steps are feasible for all USB, pen drive and Memory card.

1. Download AutorunExterminator from any reliable source or by simply using a search engine result.
2. Extract AutorunExterminator and the double click to run it.
3. When you find a cross symbol in the notification bar, then it means that things have been set into motion. This software works in the background so that your usual functions are not set to halt.
4. After the Exterminator is through with its process, it will remove the autorun.inf files from the USB/Memory Card which is plugged in.

Using CMD (or Command Prompt)

The idea of using command prompt to eradicate the shortcut virus might sound both technical and tedious. But believe me it isn’t. In just 4 simple steps command prompt can replenish the quality of your pen drive.

1. In the start option, click on run and type in cmd.
2. Click on ok to run cmd
3. If your pen drive appears as saying F drive, then paste the following command in your cmd tool, excluding the brackets.
   (ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D F:\*.*) or you can also type in (ATTRIB F:\*.* /D /S -H -R -S)

4. The key here is to put in the same letter that represents the drive for your pendrive in your system

UsbFix tool

The UsbFix is a tool developed by El Desaparecido to remove viruses from external hardware such as a pen drive. But before you begin, you must close all the programs that are already running. Because when the process is completed it will automatically command your system to restart and due to unhandled running programs you may lose your data. Go on step by step to use UsbFix and exterminate the virus present.

1. Download UsbFix from a trustable source or by simply using a search engine result and launch it.
2. In case if the antivirus on your computer hinders the functionality of this tool, then you may be required to temporarily disable the antivirus from the control panel.
3. After you are through with tackling your antivirus. Then you can try plugging in your USB device or pendrive.
4. Launch UsbFix.exe by double clicking on it and then select ‘deletion’ option.
5. As this is a virus removing process, so like any other antivirus scanning protocol, it will also require you to restart your PC and this process is automatic for UsbFix.
6. You can also access detailed reports regarding the deletion process by visiting C:\UsbFix.txt i.e., the txt format present for UsbFix in C drive.

Also Check Out: How To Find Your Stolen Camera / Lost Digital Camera within Minutes?

Tips to avoid encountering virus

Here are a few tips that you can deploy to avoid virus or USB data loss in the future.

1. Scan any kind of external storage hardware before connecting it to your system. Remember that virus is a communicable disease and it holds true for both humans and computers. Scanning a USB protects your system from an infected device, which otherwise could cost you to format your entire system.
2. If you are going to attach your USB to someone else’s computer, then make sure that they are loaded with antivirus so as to comply with the step that I have already mentioned. It will always come down to ‘protection is better than cure’, because these cures can really prove to be hectic sometimes.
3. It would be in the best of interest if you could avoid using third party software. Although you may have saved a few bucks by making arrangements or using non genuine products, but it is also highly capable of putting your USB or the system in harm’s way.
4. An updated antivirus can work wonders for keeping your system maintenance free. So remember to update your genuine copy of antivirus from time to time, as this will keep you protected from the new versions of the virus that catch you online.
5. A digital overhauling can keep your systems running in tandem with its configuration, what I mean is that you can run boot time scans once in every 2 to 3 weeks. This is an extremely assuring method to trace virus related issues at the most microscopic level.
6. With internet within the reach, your mind may play some tricks to open foul websites. As much as these websites promise to deliver, they may also secretly implant a virus into your system and harm your backup files. A virus in a pen drive can be potent enough to immediately shut your system and then maybe next time you will find yourself browsing through another article to rescue your computer and not just the USB.

Watch this tutorial by mysmart support on how to remove shortcut virus from Pen Drive & PC

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