What is Shortcut virus?
Before going through the steps to delete this virus from our system, let us see what this virus does. This will make it easier for us to understand and solve the problem. This virus surfaced in 2010 and has been with different names since then.This shortcut virus replicates your files and folders, hide and replace your files with shortcuts.exe. This is a combination of Trojan and Worm. The bad thing about this shortcut virus is that it will leave you with no option but to click it in order to open your files, there by it starts duplicating itself and install malicious software on your system there by destroying files.Here we are going to share with you almost all the easiest methods to remove shortcut virus from your computer or laptop or from pendrive.
How To Remove SHORTCUT VIRUS From PC/LAPTOP OR PEN DRIVE ?
Method 1)Steps to REMOVE SHORTCUT VIRUS Using CMD
There is nothing hard using CMD,even a non-technical person can use this CMD method to remove shortcut virus from the system.So just follow the following steps:1)Open CMD. (Go to Run > type CMD > hit enter)
2)Now enter cd\ to make it go the main drive.
3)Now enter "Drive Name":
Lets assume you want to remove the shortcut virus from the drive C then your command will be
C:
4)Now enter the command below
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
5)Replace the “Drive-Name” with your drive name. Here(C drive)
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d C:*.*
6) Now hit the enter button. And all your shortcut virus will be removed. And now you can simply go back and delete the shortcut folder normally.
3)Now enter "Drive Name":
Lets assume you want to remove the shortcut virus from the drive C then your command will be
C:
4)Now enter the command below
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
5)Replace the “Drive-Name” with your drive name. Here(C drive)
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d C:*.*
6) Now hit the enter button. And all your shortcut virus will be removed. And now you can simply go back and delete the shortcut folder normally.
Method 2) Steps to Remove SHORTCUT VIRUS Using .BAT FILE
.Bat file is nothing but its an execution of any file. In case if the above CMD method doesn't work try this.Instead of separately executing each command in CMD,You can make a .bat file easily using notepad by writing the same command in it, by which you can remove the short cut virus in single step.And the steps are:
1)Open Notepad. (Run > type Notepad)
Copy the below code and paste it on the notepad file which you just opened.
@echo off
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
@echo complete
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
attrib -h -s -r -a /s /d Drive-Name:*.*
@echo complete
2)Now replace the “Drive-Name” with your drive.Save the notepad file as "removevirus.bat" and save it. Make sure you save file in desktop.Now double click on the file and run it.
So, by this all the shortcut virus will be removed from your drives.
So, by this all the shortcut virus will be removed from your drives.
Method 3 using Hijackthis:
If there is still problem with the above methods, this will work out in removing that shortcut virus.So follow the below steps
1)Download Hijackthis and install it on your computer.
2)Scan your system with Hijackthis and preferably save the log file.
3)Hijackthis gives you, a list of entries with codes. Each code has a meaning.
4)We need to look at the entries with code ’04’. These are the entries which are executed when a user is logged into the computer that displays startup items for all the users in the computer.
5)Make sure you delete all entries which have the following file names inside them: fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exeNow
6)open your Task Manager. Under Processes, make sure no process is running under the name fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exe
7)Now go to your profile home folder (Run –> %HOMEPATH%), delete all files named fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exeHopefully the above steps will cleanup our system from the pendrive shortcut virus.
Now let’s clean our USB drives and restore our data.
1)Open command prompt (Run –> cmd) and go to your USB drive. For example, if my USB drive is E drive, I’ll need to type E: and hit the enter key. This will take me to the USB drive inside the command prompt.
2)Run the following command: del *.lnk
This will delete all files with the extension of a shortcut
3)Now run the following command:
attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:*.*
This command will remove the following attributes from all files inside the USB drive; hidden, read-only, system.
Following these steps should remove the virus from the USB drive completely. If you open your USB drive folder from Windows Explorer, you will be able to see all your files and folders restored inside the USB drive.
4)We need to look at the entries with code ’04’. These are the entries which are executed when a user is logged into the computer that displays startup items for all the users in the computer.
5)Make sure you delete all entries which have the following file names inside them: fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exeNow
6)open your Task Manager. Under Processes, make sure no process is running under the name fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exe
7)Now go to your profile home folder (Run –> %HOMEPATH%), delete all files named fypuas.exe and fypuasx.exeHopefully the above steps will cleanup our system from the pendrive shortcut virus.
Now let’s clean our USB drives and restore our data.
1)Open command prompt (Run –> cmd) and go to your USB drive. For example, if my USB drive is E drive, I’ll need to type E: and hit the enter key. This will take me to the USB drive inside the command prompt.
2)Run the following command: del *.lnk
This will delete all files with the extension of a shortcut
3)Now run the following command:
attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:*.*
This command will remove the following attributes from all files inside the USB drive; hidden, read-only, system.
Following these steps should remove the virus from the USB drive completely. If you open your USB drive folder from Windows Explorer, you will be able to see all your files and folders restored inside the USB drive.
