On a flash drive, folders became labels: what to do? On a flash drive, all folders became labels

Flash drives, being one of the most common devices, are exposed to virus attacks much more often than any others. First of all, because the device is portable, which means that it can infect the maximum number of computers, even those that are not connected to the global network. After some time the user can notice that all the folders on the flash drive have become labels. How to recover data and get rid of viruses, read in the article.

Invalid Actions

Often after the appearance of the problem a person follows the very first advice and formats the USB-drive. Of course, the problem goes away for a while, but all the data is lost. And with this approach, no one can guarantee that after some time the event will not happen again. I must say that the user data is not lost anywhere. The virus just hid it, and the link to its launch tries to submit as the original content.

Do not try to open anything, if all the folders on the USB flash drive become labels. Malicious programs usually create a link to their launch. At the same time, the code that infects the computer can be added to the script.

But do not underestimate the virus writers, naively believing that if all the folders on the USB flash drive become labels, but no actions were taken with them, the PC is completely protected. Most likely the malicious program copied itself into the internal memory while the device was initialized immediately after it was connected.

Exclude this possibility can only deactivated the autorun from all media and the latest version of the antivirus.

Start recovery

What if the folders on the flash drive become labels? You must first remove the malware. To find out where the virus was copied, right-click on any shortcut on the drive. In the menu that appears, click on the "Properties" line. In the window that opens, examine the "Object" field. It stores the path to the binary file, which should be deleted. It is with his help that the virus is launched.

Malicious software can be located in a directory that was not previously on the drive, in which case it is desirable to clear the entire folder. If the folder on the flash drive becomes a shortcut, in addition to the USB device itself, it is worth checking two directories:

• C: \ Users \ UserName \ AppData \ Roaming.
• From: \ Documents and Setting \ UserName \ Local Settings \ Applications Data.

If you find any file in it that has the "exe" extension, be sure to perform a full scan of the computer with an antivirus utility.

Why antiviruses do not always help

Sometimes it's impossible to get rid of malware manually, moreover, the installed antivirus also becomes powerless. The fact is that many "worms" can infect protective programs.

"On a flash drive, folders became labels." How do I delete a virus? " The user will ask. In fact, you will not have to perform any complicated operations, except to spend a little more time creating a special boot disk.

Cd

If the folders on the flash drive become shortcuts, the best way to create a boot disk and remove malware is to use a special tool from Dr.Web, called LiveDisk. You can download it on the official website of the developer. For home use the product is completely free.

After downloading LiveDisk, you must additionally install the UltraISO program. After installation, the application will integrate its functionality into the Explorer. This simplifies the burning process.

Simply double-click the icon of the image with the antivirus. After that UltraISO will start immediately. Just click on the "Record" button and insert the disk into the drive.

Bootable USB flash drive

It is not always possible to find a blank disc, sometimes there is simply no DVD-ROM burning when the computer was attacked by viruses, and the folders became labels on the USB flash drive. What to do in this case? Simply create a bootable USB drive. And to make it much easier than burn CD.

• Download Dr.Web LiveDisk, created specifically for USB-devices. Remember that such utilities in order to avoid risks must be obtained only on the developer's site.
• Open the file called "drwebliveusb.exe". If there are any errors during the download, open the shortcut menu by right-clicking, and then select "Run as administrator".
• Insert the USB flash drive into the USB port.
• In the main application window, specify the device that will be used as the boot device.
• Check the box next to "Format". Now you just need to click on the "Create" button.

During system file recording, all data will be deleted from the drive. Keep them in advance.

Preparing the computer

If the folders on the flash drive become shortcuts, the restore procedure must be continued by setting the BIOS. To enter the configuration program, press the "DEL" button when the very first messages appear on the monitor screen. The key may be different. To find out for sure how to run the configuration utility, it is worth reading the manual supplied with the motherboard. It can be found on the manufacturer's website.

Once in the BIOS, navigate to the "Boot" or "Advances" tab. Here, switch the parameter recorded from the "First Boot Device" line to "USB" or "DVD-ROM", depending on which device is used.

To exit with saving all the settings, select "Exit and Save".

Checking

If folders on the flash drive become labels, Windows 7, in all probability, is already infected, which means that the problem can not be disposed of for a long time without scanning the system completely. To do this, select Default on the first screen of LiveDisk. If after that the antivirus is unstable or does not start at all, it is worth rebooting the computer, preferring the Safe mode option.

After a while, the screen will display a desktop resembling a Windows desktop. Simultaneously, the Control Center is loaded. In case of failure of its automatic start, click on the button with a kind of spider - it is located on the place of the "Start" menu. Then click on the inscription "Control Center"

Find the "Tools" button, which is located at the top of the window, and click on it. In the panel that opens, select "Settings". In the first tab of the settings, determine what actions will be applied to objects that pose a threat to the computer. Each line here needs to be set to "Delete". Do not worry about the integrity of the data. If the folder on the flash drive becomes a shortcut, it is simply hidden, but not infected, respectively, and will not be deleted.

In the lower area of the "Scanner" tab are two fields. The first one determines the maximum size of files scanned by the antivirus. It is best to enter "0" here, that is, remove the restrictions. The second indicates how many times each object will be scanned. It is advisable to enter a value of "5". Mandatory check the box "Scan archives". Without it, the removal of the virus may not happen if the folders on the flash drive become labels.

Close the settings window and go to the "Scanner" tab, which is located in the "Control Center" window. Click the "Custom Scan" button. The user is prompted to select the devices that need to be scanned. It should be noted all the flags in the system. Then click on the "Scan" button.

The check can take a long time, which depends on the amount of information on the disks and the speed of data exchange. When this process is completed, it remains to click on the line "Exit". After reboot, return the original BIOS settings again.

Attributes

If the folders on the flash drive become shortcuts, the anti-virus software scan is only the first stage of recovery. After scanning, you also need to return the data. As noted earlier, they have not been modified or deleted, but they do not appear in the Explorer window either. By changing the attributes, you will be able to see your documents again. And you can perform this operation in several different ways.

Manual mode

If all the folders on the USB flash drive become shortcuts to restore the attributes, follow the instructions:

• Open the "Start" menu and click "Run".
• Move the cursor to the input line and type "cmd", then click "OK".
• A command window will appear on the screen. First, go to the root of the USB drive by typing "cd / d X: \". Then press the "ENTER" button. The letter "X" should be replaced with the one used in the system to access the USB flash drive.
• The next command to execute is "attrib -s -h / d / s".
• Having performed all the actions correctly, you will again be able to observe in the explorer all the missing folders and files.

Automation of the process

If the folders on the flash drive become labels, you can make it easier to reset the attributes.

• Start the Notepad program. It is located in the "Standard" menu of the "Start" menu. You can just type the word "notepad" in the input line of the "Run" window.
• In the text editor, copy the "attrib -s -h / d / s" (without the quotes).
• Click on the inscription "File", which is located at the top of the program, and click on the "Save" line.
• Specify the name that will be assigned to the document, for example: "name.bat". As you can see, after the point there is an extension different from the standard one. Be sure to use the word "bat", otherwise the desired result will not be achieved.
• Move the document created in Notepad to the USB drive. Now it's enough just to run the file as a normal program. It can both be removed and left in case of re-infection.

Many users are faced with a situation where it is not the first time on a flash drive that the folders have become labels. What if the problem is repeated systematically? The answer is obvious: install the anti-virus and regularly update signature databases. Also, do not use a portable device to work on someone else's computer - there is a high probability that malware comes from the outside.