How to Remove Shortcut Virus from PC/Laptop in Windows 11/10/8/7

Three Ways to Remove Shortcut Virus in Windows 11/10/8/7

A Shortcut virus is a shared computer virus that hides your files and replaces them with shortcuts of the same name. When you click on these shortcuts, the virus replicates itself and further infects your drive. When your computer, hard disk partition, or USB drive is affected by a shortcut virus, all files appear as shortcuts, making the actual data inaccessible. The shortcut virus typically enters your drive by running an .exe file containing the virus or through the use of flash drives across multiple computers.

How to Remove Shortcut Virus from Windows 10/8/7 PC or USB:

• 1. Remove Shortcut Virus using CMD
• 2. Delete Shortcut Virus through Registry Editor
• 3. Remove Shortcut Virus with Antivirus Software

If you are infected with the Shortcut virus, consider following a detailed solution below instead of using a Shortcut virus removal tool. Check the list below to see what options you have.

Method 1: Remove Shortcut Virus using CMD (Free)

Applicable to both external and internal devices

If your USB flash drive, external hard disk, or SD storage card is infected with the Shortcut virus, you should remove it immediately. The infection spreads every time you plug the external device into a Windows PC or laptop.

Use the Command Prompt to remove the shortcut virus by following these steps:

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your computer, right-click the Start button, and select Search.

2. Type "Command Prompt" in the search box, then click on "Command Prompt" to open it. If prompted, log in with your administrator account and password.

Step 3. Type the letter of the drive followed by a colon and press Enter. For example, if your USB or HDD drive letter is H, type H: and press Enter.

Step 4: Type del *.lnk and press Enter.

Step 5: Type attrib -s -r -h *.* /s /d /l, and then press Enter.

If no files were found, you might be infected with a different virus. Try deleting suspicious files by replacing .lnk with another virus file extension, such as *.exe.

Method 2: Remove the Shortcut Virus from the Registry

Applicable to computers and laptops

This will delete any suspicious keys that may be related to the shortcut virus.

Steps to remove Shortcut Virus from the Registry:

Step 1: Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Run.

Step 3: Search and delete suspicious registry entries, such as odwcamszas, WXXKYz, ZGFYszaas, and OUzzckky.

Method 3: Run a Malwarebytes Scan or Antivirus Software

Antivirus programs typically do not flag shortcuts as viruses, but it's best to run a scan with one just in case. This will ensure that your system is free from any viruses or threats. Here are some antivirus programs recommended for the job:

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Steps to remove Shortcut Virus using free antivirus software:

Here, we'll use TotalAV as an example:

Step 1: Download and run TotalAV.

Step 2. Click on the “Scan Now” option in the TotalAV window.

By default, TotalAV will perform a rootkit scan and prompt you to restart your system. When prompted to restart your computer, click on “Restart.”

4. After the risk has been successfully removed, click Finish.

Extra Tips – How to Restore Files After Removing the Shortcut Virus

After removing the Shortcut virus from USB and Windows PC, you should scan your data to see if any important files got lost in the process. Searching for missing files all over the hard drive can be tedious and straining. To speed up the search for your lost files and recover them quickly, you can use one of the best data recovery software tools like Data Recovery Wizard to search your drive.

The free data recovery tool scans the content of the disk thoroughly to find all lost data due to deletion, formatting, or virus attacks. Furthermore, it supports data recovery from lost partitions, RAW partitions, and damaged hard drives.

Read on to learn how this quick and easy data recovery method works.

Step 1: Select the virus-infected drive to scan

Run an anti-virus file recovery software on your Windows PC. Select the disk that was attacked by the virus and scan for lost or hidden files. Please note:

• If the HDD is infected and files are hidden or deleted by a virus, it is recommended to install the software on another disk or external USB drive to avoid overwriting data. • In case the infected device is an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or memory card, it is safe to install the software on a local disk of your computer.

Select the location to scan

Step 2: Review all scan results

The "Data Recovery Wizard" will immediately start scanning the virus-infected hard drive for deleted or hidden files. To quickly locate the needed files, you can use the "Filter" or "Group by Type" feature to display only images, videos, documents, emails, and so on.

Step 3: Preview and recover the deleted/hidden files

Once the scan is finished, you can preview the files that were found. Select the ones that you want, then click the “Recover” button. Save the recovered files to a safe location on your computer or storage device, not the original location where the files were lost.

Continue reading to learn how to recover deleted files:

[Simple & Fast] How to Recover Deleted Files from Laptop/PC - Windows 10/8/7

If you've deleted a file, first try checking the Recycle Bin. If the lost file is not there, you can use tools like Data Recovery Wizard to retrieve deleted files, even those that have been permanently removed.

After the data recovery, it's best to back up your hard drive and then format it. This will ensure that there are no remnants of the shortcut virus on your drive. Once you've formatted the drive, you can restore your backed-up data.

Please see our video tutorial on how to recover files from a hard drive:

Prevent Shortcut Virus Infection Through Windows Firewall

It's easier to prevent Shortcut Virus than to remove it, so it's best to take steps to block this virus. On a Windows computer, one easy way to do this is to turn on the Windows Firewall.

Here's how to enable the firewall:

Step 1: Open the Control Panel, click on Windows Firewall, and then choose Turn Windows Firewall On or Off.

Step 2: Check both “Turn on Windows Defender Firewall” checkboxes and click OK at the bottom.

Conclusions

If your computer is unfortunately infected by the Shortcut virus, the methods above should help. After removing the virus, remember to turn on the Windows Firewall for better protection. Also, if you lost any data during the virus removal process, try using a data recovery software to restore your lost files.

"Frequently Asked Questions on How to Remove Shortcut Virus"

Below are some common questions about removing shortcut virus. Read on to get answers to your queries.

How do I remove the Shortcut Virus from my USB?

To remove Shortcut virus from flash drive/USB:

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your computer, right-click the Start button, and choose Search.

Step 2: Type Command Prompt in the search box, and then click Command Prompt to open it.

If prompted, log in using an administrator account and password.

Step 3: Type E: and press Enter. (Replace E: with the letter assigned to your USB drive or flash drive.)

Step 4: Type del *.lnk or del autorun.inf, and then press Enter.

5. Type in attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.* and press Enter. (Replace E with the letter of the infected drive.)

How do I delete a shortcut file?

Delete shortcut:

Step 1: Right-click the icon and choose Delete.

Step 2. Click OK to confirm the removal.

Which is the best antivirus to remove shortcut virus?

Here are some effective antivirus tools:

• Trojan remover tool
• Shortcut virus fixer for folder
• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, etc.