Have you ever been a victim of one or many unknown viruses? If yes, then you might be aware of the fact that virus attacks can result in unexpected loss of data from hard drive, external hard drive, memory card, or USB flash drive.

This could be a disaster for those who don't know how to recover files from USB that got infected by viruses! But worry not! On this page, we will introduce you to two possible solutions to retrieve virus-infected files from USB: using CMD to recover hidden files from the virus-infected USB flash drive and using the professional virus attack tool – Data Recovery Wizard to restore virus-infected files. You should try these solutions in order. If the first method doesn't work, move on to the second one.

How to Recover Hidden Files from a Virus-infected USB Flash Drive via Command Prompt

When your data gets hidden, inaccessible, or lost due to a virus attack on your USB flash drive, your best bet is to first try recovering the hidden files from the virus-infected USB using the Command Prompt (cmd). cmd is an excellent choice since it's free and easy to understand. Let's see how it works. (I'll be using Windows 10 for this demonstration, but the process is quite similar in other operating system versions.)

Step 1: Plug in your USB drive, flash drive, or memory card to your computer.

Step 2: Click on the Start menu and type cmd in the search bar, then hit Enter. You will see an item named "cmd.exe" in the program list.

How to recover files from a virus-infected storage medium using CMD - Step 1

Step 3: Click on "cmd.exe". You will enter the Windows Command Prompt interface, where you can recover files from a virus-infected device.

Step 4: Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d *.* and hit Enter.

Then, Windows will start looking for virus-infected and hidden files on your external hard drive, memory card, or USB drive. Once the scan is finished, go to your disk or card and check if you can see all the previously infected files.

If you see it, congratulations! If not, don't despair. You have another option. Try a third-party data recovery app from Solution 2!

Notice
To better protect and assist your device in running securely, it is recommended to use a reliable antivirus software. Among the options, TotalAV is a top choice. You can download it immediately to remove all malware.

How to use Virus Attack Data Recovery software to restore files from a USB that has been infected by a virus

When you can't recover hidden files from a virus-infected USB via cmd, the Data Recovery Wizard tool comes to the rescue. This professional recovery software supports file restoration for all storage devices, including USB drives, flash drives, SD cards, HDDs, SSDs, and emptied Recycle Bins.

With its powerful file recovery utility, you can effectively retrieve files infected by various types of viruses. Moreover, if the virus has corrupted your files, it can also help you repair corrupt photos, videos, and documents. Start retrieving files from your virus-infected USB drive by following this step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1. Select the drive infected with virus to scan

Run a virus file recovery program on your Windows computer. Select the disk that was affected by the virus and scan for lost or hidden files. Please note that:

    • If the infected files are located on a hard drive that's hidden or deleted due to a virus, it's best to install the software on another volume or an external USB drive to avoid overwriting data. • If the infected device is an external hard drive, a flash drive, or a memory card, it's okay to install the software on the computer's local disk.
Select the location to scan

Step 2: Review all scan results

The Data Recovery Wizard will immediately start scanning the virus-affected hard drive to look for your deleted or hidden files. To quickly locate the file you need, you can use the filter or grouping by type options to display only images, videos, documents, emails, and so on.

Recover deleted or lost files

Step 3: Preview and recover deleted/hidden files

Once the scan is finished, you can preview the scanned files. Select the files you need and click the “Recover” button. You should save the recovered files to a different secure location on your computer or storage device instead of the original location where the files were lost.

Restore files infected by viruses

Watch our video tutorial on how to recover files:

Frequently Asked Questions About Restoring Files Infected by Viruses

See more guides on how to recover virus-infected files from USB flash drives, pen drives, and computers.

How do I show hidden files on a flash drive after a virus infection?

To recover hidden files from a virus-infected USB flash drive, you can utilize one of the two solutions provided in this article: using the attrib command line or employing a professional virus file recovery tool to restore infected files.

2. How can I recover files from a virus-infected USB drive?

Step 1: Click the "Start" menu, type cmd in the search box, and press Enter.

Step 2: Click on "cmd.exe" to open the Windows Command Prompt.

Step 3. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:\*.* (replace G with your drive letter) to restore infected files.

How do I recover hidden files from a USB drive?

You can view and restore hidden files on a USB drive by using the File Explorer options. First, select "View," then click on "Hidden items," and then click "Show hidden files, folders, and drives." Click "Apply," and then "OK." This will make your hidden files visible on the USB drive.

How can I remove a virus from a USB device without deleting the files?

You can remove the virus from the USB flash drive without losing data in the following ways: Remove Virus from USB Flash Drive.

Step 1: Type cmd into the search box to open the Command Prompt.

Step 2: Type the letter assigned to your flash drive (for example, J) followed by a colon, like J:

Step 3: Type attrib -r -a -s -h *.* and press Enter.

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