In this age of digital communication, one has to use several devices to exchange the files such as images, audio files, documents and many more. Many times these files are stored on different devices, and one has to attach the same to another one. In such case, the virus can be a big issue as it can easily infect the new device that is attached to the infected device. The main device that has to suffer from the virus is the pen drive or USB. It is easy to use and carry the device, and that is why it is much popular among the users. There are a lot of users who have the habit of plugging in their own USB to any random computer, and after that, they find that all the files on their USB have now turned into shortcuts. It is one of the most common problems every USB drive owner has once faced and somehow had to format the whole pen drive and lose the data. In the modern era of information and communication, nobody can afford to lose data and hence it is important to understand how to remove the shortcut virus.
What is the shortcut virus?
Shortcut virus is a malicious program which affects the pen drive and hides the original files by creating shortcuts of those files hence it is named as shortcut virus. Some novice users are terrified when they see shortcuts of their files and not original ones believing that the original files were deleted but that is not so. As mentioned earlier, the shortcut virus does not delete the data on your pen drive, but rather it hides the data in folders so deep. Once the files are hidden the user will not be able to use it, and that is what is painful for the user. This virus can spread in a very fast manner by connecting infected pen drives to other computers. The virus also gets transferred to memory cards and cell phones by Bluetooth connections or by directly connecting an infected pen drive. One of the most common viruses found of this type is “autorun.inf.” This virus has the tendency to keep on multiplying and creating the shortcuts thus infecting the whole system. So here are the three commonly applied methods to remove shortcut virus from pen drive.
How to remove shortcut virus from pen drive using the command prompt (CMD)?
One of the most effective ways to remove shortcut virus from pen drive is by using the command prompt. Using a command prompt, there are 95% chances that the virus will be totally removed from the system and the memory card or pen drive. Here are the steps mentioned to follow for eliminating the shortcut virus from pen drive. One has to click on “Start” and open the “Run” dialogue box. In the run dialogue box type “cmd” and hit enter. A new black screen will open the title of which will read “Command Prompt” or “C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe”. Now the user has to visit the pen drive or mobile phone directory and type “attrib (name of your device):*.* /d /s -h -r –s.” Once typed, the user has to press enter, and the tab will show if the virus is removed.
Shall I use an antivirus for removing shortcut virus from my pen drive?
Not having an antivirus is itself an issue for the user. The pen drive and the computer are at risk by so many things if the system is not protected by antivirus data theft may occur. The answer to the question shall I use an antivirus for removing shortcut virus from pen drive is YES. A few things are to be considered before using an antivirus. One has to make sure that the virus database is updated all the time, the antivirus should not be an expired one, and the antivirus should not be a pirated copy, and it should be the original one with a security key. There are varieties of antivirus available in the market (online as well as offline) from which a user can select an antivirus depending upon personal requirements and the sensitivity of the data to be protected. Antivirus is available in different price range depending on the type of security they provide, i.e., internet security or total security. The antivirus which provides total security is costlier as compared to the antivirus providing internet security.
One can obtain information about different types of antivirus by visiting the official website of the company. Most companies mention the features of the product and provide a detailed explanation about how the software is going to protect your pc.
Shortcut virus is one of the most annoying viruses on the internet. Crores of people who use USB drives regularly complain about their USB drives getting infected with shortcut virus. To prevent the shortcut virus from infecting your pen drive, you should take care that the pen drive is never attached to any random and unknown computer. Most of the time shortcut viruses infect your pen drive when it is attached to an unknown computer with no licensed antivirus and/or antivirus which has an outdated database of the virus.
Antivirus software has become eminent to protect your system from any kind of virus because once your system is infected, there is no returning. Many times people lose their data as the system needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Due to the presence of the shortcut virus, the files on the USB drive get hidden deep into the number of folders. Novice users of a USB drive always believe that the files are removed, and the virus is infecting the USB drive, so they format it and hence lose the data. To remove shortcut virus from pen drive, one can always rely on the above mentioned steps as they are effective and tested by many other pen drive users. Also one should always try to find the files before cleaning the system. With these steps, it is easy to protect your pen drive.