3 Ways to Remove Shortcut Virus on USB and Computer

 Pendrive, SD Card or Flash drive are very common devices for transferring data from one computer to another, sometimes we get an error while connecting the Pendrive to the computer and during data transfer one of them is Shortcut Error, basically, it is a Virus which known as Shortcut Viruses. This virus converts each file into a shortcut on your Pendrive / Hard drive, this article will help to Remove Shortcut Virus on your USB and Computer.

What is a shortcut virus and how is it spread?

As the name suggests, it is a virus that infects USB drives to turn all files and folders into shortcuts automatically. This shortcut is not accessible. Due to this data loss is a major problem that users will suffer from.

When we connect flash drive to computer which has malware virus and transfer any files from PC to flash drive, it automatically infects Pendrive and all files appear as Shortcuts.

This virus can affect external storage like Flash Drive, External Hard disk, Phone Memory, Memory card or Memory Stick, it is an anonymous malware that was initially released online and spread from one computer to another and we got Shortcut of files present in USB Drive if you try to open any file you will get an error message.

Things to Do When the System Detects a Shortcut Virus

In an instance, you have to take some preventive and preventive steps to protect your device from further damage and file corruption. Hence, before cleaning and removing such viruses from your device, these are some of the tasks that you need to perform.

* Immediately download and install some powerful antivirus program on your PC or laptop.

* Disconnect your laptop or PC from Wi-Fi.

* If your data has been lost, get some reasonable recovery software.

How to Remove Shortcut Virus

Admin will give you 3 ways to remove this virus. All three methods work fine with Windows 7, 8 and 10. You can choose the one that works best for your device depending on the available resources.

Method 1: With CMD

Follow the steps here to remove and clean shortcut virus with the help of CMD.

1. Search for CMD in Windows search, then right-click

2. Then select the 'Command Prompt (Admin)' option.

3. There you have to log in through your administrative account.

4. Type the name of the drive affected by the virus for example, D: and press enter.

5. Then type del *.lnk again and hit enter.

6. Again type attrib -s -r -h *. * / S / d / l and press enter

7.Done

The attrib command is a native Windows function that changes the attributes of a particular file or folder. The other parts of this command define which files and folders to change and how they should be changed:

* -s removes the “system file” state from all matching files and folders.

* -r removes the “read-only” status of all matching files and folders.

* -h removes the “hidden” state from all matching files and folders.

* / s makes the command iteratively apply to all files and folders in the current directory and all subdirectories, basically the entire device for that matter.

*/d make command also applies to folders (usually attrib only handles files).

* *. * means that all file names and folder names must be considered to match.

Method 2: With Registry Help

Follow the steps here to perform this method.

1. Press Windows + R on the keyboard to open the 'Run' command box.

2. Simple type 'regedit' to open the registry window on your screen.

3. Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER and click 'Software'.

4. Then, follow this path ? 'Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Click Run.

5. Again press Windows + R on the keyboard to open the 'Run' command box.

6. Type 'msconfig' and press 'Ok'.

7. Finally, restart your system.

Method 3: With Virus Remover Shortcut

Under this method, you have to rely on external and third-party software to get rid of the virus. Some of the best and selected anti-virus software are Trojan removal tool, Shortcut virus repair folder and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware tool etc. Download and install one of them to remove such shortcut viruses from your system.

Conclusion

Viruses are always dangerous and should be removed from our devices as early as possible. Talking especially about Virus Shortcut, I have suggested the best solution for you guys. All methods work effectively on all versions of Windows, but the admin recommends the third method for the easiest method.

Because all you have to do is install the Malwarebytes application, then run it and scan your flash drive and computer. But if the problem still exists, you can tell Admin for further handling.