But, there’s that one small advantage which disks have and that’s the fact USB drives are quite susceptible to malicious threats. One distinctive virus will hide all files you stored on your USB flash drive and add their shortcuts only. This seems scary, as the first guess is that your data is gone. It isn’t. We’ll show you how to retrieve it below.

How do I retrieve USB files from their shortcuts?

1. Scan for malware

As mentioned, the problem might be caused by corrupted data on the USB stick. You can use any given third-party tool to scan for malware, but make sure it has the latest virus database. A quick scan won’t be enough, so make sure to run a deep scan to make sure each and every file on your device is verified. We recommend you get antivirus software with multiple layers of protection because these are proven to offer the best security for your device. Also, make sure to use a security tool with a strong firewall and a good privacy policy. You will find good options that check all these boxes and come at really good prices or even for free.

2. Use Command Prompt

3. Use the USB Fix tool

Another way to remove a possible virus infection on the USB is to use a nifty third-party antimalware tool, this time dedicated only to this type of devices. It’s possible that classic antivirus tools don’t detect specific malware that attacks external storage, hides all data, and creates shortcuts for all files instead.  This software we recommend is called UsbFix and it specializes in resolving virus-caused issues like the one we’re addressing here. Follow these steps to use UsbFix and resolve the problem:

4. Format your USB drive

This means that you’ll have to start from scratch with copying files on the stick, but at least you now know that it is a clean device. Take a look at this article, as well, where we explain what to do if the files on your USB disappear. With that said, we can conclude this article. Hopefully, these steps were helpful and you’re finally able to retrieve your files while cleaning the malicious threat in the process. Make sure to tell us in the comments whether the above-mentioned steps helped you or not.

Name * Email * Commenting as . Not you? Save information for future comments
Comment

Δ