How to Convert a Shortcut File into Original File

Summary

If your saved files turned into shortcut format on USB/SD or other storage devices due to virus attack or malware, relax and use the methods provided here to help you open shortcut files and convert shortcut files into original files in Windows 10/8/7 PC by using CMD, changing file viewing settings , or using a professional data recovery software.

Problem: USB flash drive files changed to shortcuts

"I use a USB flash drive as a backup device to store the crucial files and documents. This morning when I inserted the flash drive into my laptop and tried to open a file, to my huge surprise, all of my files in it turned into shortcuts with the same names as I saved earlier. I can't open any of the shortcut files. Does anyone know how to convert shortcut files into the original file? I need to recover the shortcut files."

Files turning into shortcuts is a common problem that happens to almost all of us. The error usually results from a virus, trojan or worm that can infect your USB flash drive, Pen drive, a micro SD card, an external drive, etc. What the virus often does is hiding your files and folders and turning them into shortcuts in small size. And files getting deleted by the virus also exits.

If you are encountering with the same issue and want to open and recover the shortcut files, use the three methods below to troubleshoot with ease.

How to Open and Convert Shortcut Files into Original

Here are three effective methods you can apply to solve the problem and try to recover shortcut files. Try them all until you can open shortcut files. 

Method 1. Convert Shortcut Files into Original Files by CMD 

1. Press Windows + R and type: cmd. Right-click the Command Prompt and choose "Run as administrator".

2. Type: attrib -h -r -s /s /d e:*.* and hit Enter.  (Replace e: with the drive letter of your device where want to recover shortcuts files)

Method 2. Show Hidden Files to Open Shortcut Files

As said before, the shortcut virus usually hides your files then change them to shortcut icons. So, you can recover and open shortcut files by showing the hidden files in the following ways. 

1. Open your USB Drive. 

2. Open Folder Options.

3. In "Hidden files and folders" click "Show hidden files and folders".

4. Remove and click "Hide protected operating system files".

If these two solutions don't work, it's possible that the virus/malware has deleted your files. In this way, you need to use a reliable data recovery tool to help you recover the deleted files. 

Method 3. How to Recover Hidden/Deleted Files by the Shortcut Virus

If the above two ways can't show the hidden files or the original files have been deleted already, you can use EaseUS hard drive recovery software to help you recover shortcut files successfully. This comprehensive file recovery software can recover hidden, deleted, formatted, and virus attacked data within three steps. The supported files are graphics, videos, audios, documents, emails, ZIP, RAR, as well as other 200+ data types. 

Now, download this data recovery program for free. Then, follow the step-by-step guides below to open shortcuts files effectively. 

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Select the disk partition or storage device where you lost files and click the "Scan" button.

Step 2. This program will quickly start a scanning process to find lost files. When the process accomplishes, you can double-click files to have a preview before selection.

Step 3. Choose the files you want. Then click the "Recover" button to get them back. You should save the data to another safe spot in your PC/storage device, not where they lost.