Can viruses make USB flash drives undetectable?

[zzpider]

Have this problem. My USB drive got infected by virus which made most of the files and all of the folders disappear. I know that the files and folders were not deleted and are still in the USB for the drive's used space is still the same. I let my friend disinfect my USB using his NOD32 AV. The problem is after that, my USB won't get detected anymore. It doesn't auto-detect and I can't see the drive in Windows Explorer. I tried several PCs to no avail.

I have several questions:

Did deleting the virus make my USB undetectable?
Is that a virus or a trojan?
Can I still access my USB and retrieve the files and folders?

Help anyone?

 

[kimsland]

Read=> How to remove Virus from USB Drives

Read=> How to format an unresponsive USB Drive

 

[zzpider]

Hi kimsland,

I tried formatting it following your advice on How to format an unresponsive USB Drive but i can't format it for its still undetected. Is there anyway of manually detecting the USB so that i can proceed with formatting?

As for the 4th step, there's no folder for StorageDevicePolicies.

 

[kimsland]

Your friend who disinfected the drive
Can it run in that computer?
I want to try to eliminate your computer as the issue, or the drive, whichever !

 

[ascot54]

i had similar error with my usb flash during my recent encounter with the vundo virus...

my pc has 2 usb slots on front
4 on the back ...

i got a response initially on 1 of the front ones but nowt after that...
unplugged my flightsim controllers..
got a response form 1 socket...

tried in "safe mode".. same response

please perservere... the usb will pick up at some stage
without mine, and the help from this forum, my pc would be a big paperweight..

 

[kimsland]

USBDeview
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
Finds all USB devices connected to your computer

If you believe that it may be a Virus or something similar look here:
UPDATED 8-step Viruses/Spyware/Malware Preliminary Removal Instructions

Note: You will need to create your own thread though

 

[zzpider]

kimsland,


My USB can't be detected in my friend's PC anymore.

I don't have a PC at home so I just use any available PC's at work.


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ascot54,

Yeah, we'll persevere!

 

[kimsland]

Try this (a long shot, that might work)

Get this and run it with the Flash drive in on the working computer.
http://experi3nc3.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/flash-disinfector-by-subs/

Actually plug your flash drive in when requested by the program

Edit:

Member Lookinaround, has suggested that looking in Disk Management (Start >Run > diskmgmt.msc)
Confirm what drive letters are associated with what device
USB should always be the last letter after all physical devices, but this can corrupt, when, there are many USB devices, or when Drives have been manually configured, drive letters

 

[zzpider]

I tried Flash Disinfector and it prompted "Done!" but still the USB can't be detected. I also tried Disk Management but I can't see the USB drive there.