How to recover IE favorites after "System error. Hard disk failure detected" attack?

[atechdummy]

Hello, New here and hope I am posting at the right place.

We were attacked by the fake "System Error. Hard disk failure detected" virus as detailed here:

http://www.deletevirus.net/system-error-hard-disk-failure-detected-fake-alert/

I removed the virus using MBAM and followed instructions here:

http://www.deletevirus.net/how-to-restore-files-missing-because-of-virus/

to recover some shortcuts on the desktop and the Start menu.

Now the IE favorite is still empty. Is it possible to recover and if so how? Thanks!

OS is Win 7 64 bit.

 

[atechdummy]

OK got the favorites back. It turned out that what the virus did was to make the favorites files hidden. Unhiding the files did the trick. There are many many other files got hidden as well, making other applications not working. Is it OK to unhide everything (including system files/folders that are normally hidden)?

 

[Cobalt006]

Yes and I would just unhide system files. As far as the ones hidden you might want to leave them hidden.

 

[atechdummy]

Yes and I would just unhide system files. As far as the ones hidden you might want to leave them hidden.

Not sure I understand this. I was going to do a global unhiding of everything as opposed to going file by file that would take forever besides I have no idea which files/folders are normally hidden.

 

[Cobalt006]

I see what you are saying. That would be the best route.

 

[atechdummy]

Thanks! After googling around I found this unhide program:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/unhide/

I will give that a try and see.

 

[DelJo63]

HIDING is a poor mans way (ie Microsoft) of keeping the innocent from seeing and therefore playing with
non-user files. There's no risk whatsoever unhiding them.

There are several hidden folders in every users profile - - I usually unhide them so I can access things like
Outlook PST and Thunderbird emails.