Solved Folders changing to application formats!

Folders are constantly changing to applications in my usb.
1.tried all possible ways
2.tried the scan and cmd fix
3.plz tell me a way to fix it.
4.as soon as the copying is done and i replug the usb they all change into applications!
plzz help asap i have to submit my schoolwork

Hi,
Could please give us a screenshot i cant follow you exactly
Thanks.

midou35000 said:

Hi,
Could please give us a screenshot i cant follow you exactly
Thanks.

Click to expand...

does this help?

Hello Vardhan,

Do they still open like folders?

If you copy them back to your desktop, do they show and behave as folders?

sri2000 said:

Folders are constantly changing to applications in my usb.
1.tried all possible ways
2.tried the scan and cmd fix
3.plz tell me a way to fix it.
4.as soon as the copying is done and i replug the usb they all change into applications!
plzz help asap i have to submit my schoolwork

Click to expand...

Are you using any kind of Disk Compression, remember in XP is used to have "Compress your files to save space?"

Check the Properties of your Hard Drive.

nope not at all!
and since the folders size haev been changed to 665 kb or so i can't copy them completely.
but i can open the app folder in the usb and then copy the contents

sri2000 said:

nope not at all!
and since the folders size haev been changed to 665 kb or so i can't copy them completely.
but i can open the app folder in the usb and then copy the contents

Click to expand...

Hi,
Do you have any ISO file extracter or something like that if so uninstall it.

y?
and i have been experiencing this problem even before that for almost a yr

Hello Siri2000 - I got this or a similar virus also recently when I went to a CyberCafe to print out something from my USB key. It is fairly common.

First thing to do is not panic.

In my case MS Defender stopped the propagation but I was still stuck with everything being invisible on my USB and the attributes changed. In my case shorcuts like this - https://blog.jtlebi.fr/2013/11/21/anatomy-of-a-virus-ituneshelper-vbe-22/

Go to file explorer, change the view so you can see hidden files and also uncheck "hide OS files by default". Then delete all the things you know are wrong - documents that are .exe or shorcuts, .vbs scripts etc. Then from CMD change back the attributes to normal. Essentially you want to open a admin command prompt, cd to your USB key and then type "attrib -s -h /s /d" - see here for more details... Change File Attributes, Create supper hidden folders in Windows using attrib.exe

Then post a picture.

Easiest if you don't care about the contents is to format it again though.

Virus for sure, had a similar thing happen when I took USB memory to printers to print some pictures and came back looking like that. All folders turned into files with .exe. MBam and McShield fixed it but had to delete those files by hand.

Exactly. It is odd that the solution is so well known. Perhaps someone will come back and say "Norton does it" or "Avast does it". MSE does stop your PC getting infected but doesn't clean your USB.

Schools, printers and other "public" places are Petri Dish for viruses and such infestation. It would be wise to put read only on portable memories and something like MCShield ::Anti-Malware Tool:: on the computer.

Or buy your own printer and never interact with the dodgy places. Defender was OK - it stopped it but it was still irritating to fix my USB key...

adamf said:

Or buy your own printer and never interact with the dodgy places. Defender was OK - it stopped it but it was still irritating to fix my USB key...

Click to expand...

Have couple of printers, for personal use but by printers I meant Print services, I do some leaflets, catalogs and even prepared few large books so I would be buying new printer every month. Also doing some preparing for printing of poster, photographs and portraits on canvas that look like oil or pastel and watercolor. Printing on glass, stone, mugs, plates etc. requires special machines. I am not bloody print service, just doing preparation for that stuff. They are not "dodgy" places but they have so many people bringing their USB or other memory devices that "resistance (to infections) is futile". Wander if the Borg meant did that too. Anyway, unless you are a recluse, you have to carry that stuff like USB memories to a lot of places, that's what they are for, not to stay in the pocket or at home in the vault. All that makes it vulnerable and has to be properly secured and protected.

You are absolutely correct. I don't have a printer or a scanner so I have to go to an internet cafe to scan receipts, print boarding passes or cv etc. I assume I'll pick up a virus and 90% of the time I do. It is never that bad (so far) but it is mildly annoying. As you say though - that is what a USB key is for.

Hi adamf,
i noe that and i'm not much of a pc noob
the thing is i've tried that too
but there ain't any hidden things in it
if there were any probs like u said before a day or two it would have gone
but this prob persits for almost a yr.
i think its a faulty usb and theres no way to fix it
and i've formated the usb for almost more than 1000 times

sri2000 said:

Hi adamf,
i noe that and i'm not much of a pc noob
the thing is i've tried that too
but there ain't any hidden things in it
if there were any probs like u said before a day or two it would have gone
but this prob persits for almost a yr.
i think its a faulty usb and theres no way to fix it
and i've formated the usb for almost more than 1000 times

Click to expand...

Well yes, there's limit to it's life time.