Have you ever lost some important data or documents due to a virus-hit Pendrive? We have all been there and wished that there was some way to either prevent or cure this problem. This troubling menace of viruses has existed since the inception of software technology and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Today with a plethora of dangerous viruses out there, it is imperative to learn the suitable way to protect your flash drive, your files, as well as your devices.
Not only can viruses make your files unreadable and inaccessible, but they also cause some serious damage to your computers and laptops, temporarily or permanently harming their performance and speed. In case you are facing similar problems and don’t know how to remove the virus from your USB flash drive, keep on reading for some easy methods you can try out.
Here are the ways to remove all viruses from your Pendrive-
Method 1- Remove virus from your device using CMD
Step 1: Plug in your USB Pendrive to your laptop or computer. Click ‘Cancel’ on the window asking you what to do with the connected device.
Step 2: Now, open the ‘Start’ menu and search ‘Run’. On the Run search box type ‘cmd’. This will open the command prompt.
The command prompt looks like a black screen with a blinking cursor. This is where you should type the command.
Step 3: Before typing the command, go to ‘My Computer’ and check the letter that is designated to your flash drive. Let’s say the letter is ‘E’.
Coming back to the command prompt, next to the blinking cursor, type your disk letter with a colon. For example – ‘E:’ Press Enter to proceed.
Step 4: Next, in the command prompt, type del *.lnk and hit Enter. This will remove all ‘.lnk’ files from your device.
Subsequently, type the command attrib -s -r -h *.* /s /d /l
Press Enter again and this will remove and disable all corrupted files and shortcut viruses from your device.
Step 5: Open your flash drive again and check if the corrupted and unfamiliar files have been deleted.
Method 2 – Use an Anti-Virus Software
After following Method 1 if you still find a virus on your USB flash drive or you’re unable to access your files, run your Sandisk Pendrive through an efficient Anti-Virus Program for a thorough cleanse and check-up. Consider purchasing an efficient anti-virus program for the security of your files as well as the safety of your device against unwelcomed viruses.
Method 3- Format your USB drive
If the problem still persists even after the first two methods, you will have to format your USB Drive. Don’t forget to copy the normal files into your computer before you format your USB drive. In case you don’t have any important files on your Sandisk 32 GB Pendrive, this will hardly take a few seconds. To format your Drive, click ‘My Computer’ and locate your disk. Right-click on your USB Drive and choose the ‘Format’ option. Confirm your action and your Pendrive will be formatted.
Note: We all know the pain of losing your important files to these computer viruses. We often get them while using our USB drives on different computers without any anti-virus protection. Users must be careful about not skipping the virus cleaning, especially after using your Pendrive on a public computer. More importantly, don’t forget to back up your files! Following precautionary steps can save you from the hassle of following these methods and keep your data safe and secure.
